Posted by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) in Return To Sender

Posted by Civilian Runa Siff Edman (Education Specialist) in Return To Sender

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) in Return To Sender
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Runa stared at the bottle in her hand. What the H&^^? There was a handwritten note in her sister’s elegant script with “Mike” on the outside. Runa swore, a lot, in old norse, and then a few she’d picked up during her years teaching, and then slammed a fist on the desk. How could two people, so good at listening to and helping others, NOT listen to each other.

It started three months ago. Revna had called her, not so unusual until she asked how Mike was. Revna talked to Mike every week, she’d know better than Runa. Then she thought that maybe Mike had said something to make Revna worry. Nope, not at all. They’d fought and now they weren’t talking. And now everytime she went to the bar or really anywhere she was being stopped by Mike wanting to know how Revna was. She felt like she was back in highschool. But now she was playing Revna’s part instead of the other way around.

Revna missed him. It was an ache that didn’t stop. Revna had confided in her sister, she didn’t understand, Revna had talked to Mike, she’d told him about wanting to leave Star Fleet. She was never supposed to be an officer. That had been Shauwn’s dream. Those first years after he’d died, she joined, without a plan for herself. She hadn’t known how to be Revna without Shauwn and had joined because that had been his dream. She asked Mike if he wanted her to come back, but Revna had been offered this great opportunity to work for the Federation Diplomatic Corp as an ambassador to the Delta quadrant. She wanted him to say ‘Come back and be with me.’ and he wanted her to finally find her own road, but neither said that to the other, and so now their stubbornness had created hurt feelings and they were both miserable.

Runa was ending that Right. Now.

She walked into Mike’s bar, it was quiet only a few people and marched up to the bar and set the velvet covered bottle down hard. “MIKE! You better get out here or we’re gonna Brawl!”

Runa, on the War Path

There was a loud BANG and then a truly elegant string of cursing in multiple languages as Mike stood up and rubbed the back of his head. “What the hell, woman!” he yelled back and checked his hand for blood. None, but that goose egg was gonna be a beaut.
“Damn, Runa! Who peed in your cereal?” he added, scowling down at the teacher.

Big Mike

Runa was not intimidated by the very big man. She stepped onto the bottom rung of two adjacent stools. Okay so that didn’t make her quite tall enough, but it was better. Hands on hips, she was working herself into a fine slow burn. “YOU DID. You made my sister cry and you’re gonna D&^% well gonna fix it! You know that saying hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, well that’s nothing compared to her sister. And there is no phrase for the sister because no one survives it! And your big green friend won’t be able to save you.” She pointed at the black velvet bag. “You see that! She sent that to me with a letter for you. See those spots, where the velvet is messed up, the nap is ruined. One guess what caused it.”
Runa

Mike’s hand stopped rubbing his head as his eyes fell on the bottle. The scowl on his face changed into confusion, and then to hurt. He picked up the bottle and set two big fingers on the note… and then he looked at Runa. The pain in his eyes was palpable.

“Where is she, Runa? And don’t screw around. Just tell me.” he said quietly, his fingers still on the note.

Big Mike

“On her way to New Horizon station in the Delta Quadrant. She took that job with the Diplomatic Corp. They’ve made her an ambassador for the Federation. She’s going to serve on the USS Manhattan.” She paused there a moment her face softening and she sat on a stool and leaned forward. “I don’t know what happened, she wouldn’t tell me. She misses you, a lot. I’ve never seen her like this. And you can’t tell me she doesn’t mean anything to you, not the way you dodge my every step with questions about her. Do something, Mike. For both of you.”
Runa

“Im going to. That’s why I asked where she was. I thought you were, like, a teacher or something?” and he shook his head. “Gods save those poor children.” and he set the bag down and reached back and untied the white apron he always wore. “Watch the bar while I’m gone. Don’t f$#k it up or you’re banned for life. Tell Grav where I’m headed and ask him to run interference to get me there asap.” He threw the apron at her and vaulted over the bar. He grabbed the bag and started running. He looked over his shoulder and yelled back “NO FREE DRINKS, RUNA!! WE AIN’T FAMILY YET!” and then he was gone.

Big Mike

Runa laughed. About d&^$ time. And the man leapt the bar. She had to get a video copy of that from somewhere. She would never let the man live it down. And they weren’t family yet? Yeah that’s what he thought. He had the Paannaaq Edman Mead. That man was family, and she’d drink all of that she wanted. She laughed out loud and startled a couple of officers at the bar. She looked at the apron and wadded it up and tossed it under the counter. It was WAY to big for her. She grabbed a towel and without warning it snapped across the knuckles of security officer at the end of the bar. “You don’t serve yourself here. Hands off.” She tapped her combadge. =^=Runa Edman to Mr Mardusk. I’ve got a message for you from Mike. Could you come by the bar when you aren’t busy. Thank you.=^= Unfortunately for Mike, Runa was very very good at bartending, and all the men liked her. He’d have a lot of grumbling to deal with later when he returned and a severe drop in business.
Runa

Less than ten minutes later Mardusk walked into the bar. He went and sat on his stool and said “Okay, Mike. Whats the-” and he stopped short at the sight of Runa behind the bar. Green eyes narrowed and he glared and said “Yiu better have a damn good excuse for being back there, lady.”

Mardusk, CoS

Runa turned to him, “You can stop glaring at me young man. I’m not taking any of that attitude off of you. And for your information, Mike left me in charge. Finally got his head out of his backside. Went after my sister. ‘Bout time too. Hopped the bar from a dead stand still. I think he’s in a hurry. Asked me to have you....how did he put it…’Tell Grav where I’m headed and ask him to run interference to get me there asap.’ So he’s going to Event Horizon Station in the Delta Quadrant. And since it’s only been 10 minutes he may or may not need help clearing a shuttle to leave the ship. Now what do you want to drink?”
Runa

Mardusk smiled. “He only jumps the bar if it’s important. Good for him!” and he laughed loudly, startling the same two Runa startled. They glared at the big Orion, who in turn looked at them and simply said “What?”.

They left.

Mardusk looked back at Runa. He pointed to the only beer tap at that end of the bar. “Thats mine. Mine only. Thats what I drink. Pitcher is under the bar.” He reached over the bar and grabbed a PaDD from underneath.

“Okay… let’s get my boy and your girl hooked up.” and he began tapping in commands at a speed wholly unsettling for a being his size.

Mardusk, CoS

Runa grinned, “Hop to it and then you get your drink. Oh and she’s scheduled to arrive at Event Horizon in 10 days. He’d probably be happy to beat her there. Good thing we’re between her current location and the worm hole.” Runa grabbed the pitcher and filled it, like she lived behind a bar. She set the pitcher in front of Mardusk and poured herself a glass of ice water. Mike could give her that one for free. Ach actually she’d willingly pay him for the water if he made Revna happy. She moved back and forth filling orders, never once hesitating to find what someone wanted. There was some grumbling later on as it got busy and Runa stopped, tossed the towel over one shoulder, crossed her arms and just stood there. After a few minutes the grumbling stopped. “That’s what I thought. I don’t take that crap from children, I’m not taking it from grown men.” She started to reach for the next glass and stopped and looked up expectantly. There were a few grumbled, but mostly good natured apologies. “D&#& straight you are.” Then the drinks started sliding down the bar with practiced ease. She refilled Mardusk’s pitcher whenever it got low.

Mardusk was bent over the PaDD, sometimes smiling and sometimes glaring. Every now and then, when an unruly customer would start getting too loud, there would come a loud SNAP of giant green fingers and a point at the offender who invariably settled down… all without looking up from his screen.

The first time he snapped at someone Runa glanced up sharply, raised a brow, and the shrugged. That was handy. After that she took note of the offender and moved on.

“So tell me Mr Mardusk, who does Mike trust to run this place, because I do have to teach. And I’m all for hands on learning, but I’d lose my teaching license if I brought babies, toddlers, and preschoolers to a bar for class.”
Runa

“Apparently he trusts you.” and he looked up briefly from the screen. “So don’t screw it up, okay?” and he looked back down. “And bring the kids… they’ll have a blast. I’ll put up the holo-concerts Mike programmed. They’ll never budge, trust me. It’ll make for a hell of a field trip.”

Mardusk, CoS

She shook her head, “Oh NO! You can come run this place while I work, or I’ll lock the doors. What passes as chief intelligence officer on this ship, already threatened to take my teaching license because he was a sore looser as a kid.” She laughed all the way down the bar to refill a glass and clear some empty glasses. “If I have to bring them in here, you get stay with us, the whole time! I want a security detail.” She sighed tapped her combadge and asked one of the other teachers to bring her her master PaDD from her classroom. “Mike had better marry her because otherwise he’s going to owe me BIG for this.” There was the sound of glass clattering to the bar and she turned sharply and marched to the opposite end of the bar. She looked from the woman to the tipped over glass and the beer covering the bar. “Here,” she tossed her a damp rag to clean it up with. There was some grumbling about Mike wouldn’t do something. “First of all do I look like Mike? No I do not. Compared to him I’m short and petite. Secondly he doesn’t put up with drunks either and he’s not here. So either your clumsy, it was a mistake, and the adult thing is to clean up your mess, OR your drunk and that means you need an escort out of here. Which is it?” The woman grabbed the rag with a grin and wiped up the spilled beer. Runa nodded, that was more like it. She made her way back down the bar muttering, “I don’t have the patience for this anymore.”
Runa

Mardusk grinned and kept looking at the PaDD. “You know… Mike and I hung out in a bar like this when we were kids. And I mean just like this. That bar is what this one is modeled on. And that one was based on the most famous punk bar ever: CBGB, New York City. We spent I don’t know how many hours in that place. Listening to bands, talking to old punks, making friends and learning about respect.” and he leaned back and turned off the PaDD. He looked at Runa and said “Seriously. Bring ‘em. Especially the ones whose parents are always busy. The ones who get picked on. The ones who don’t ‘fit in’.” and he made air-quotes with his fingers. “We’ll do a concert once a day or night. No booze while the kids are in. I think you’ll find the people that hang out in bars like this -” and he gestured around with a green finger the size of a sausage, “- are really good with kids like that. Dunno why, but it’s true. It something about the music.” He then slid the PaDD over to her.

Runa nodded, “I’m all for it, but if Mike gets mad I stopped serving booze or messed up his bar or some crap like that, it was your idea.” Runa grinned, she honestly didn’t think Mike would have a problem with it, as long as she didn’t redecorate. And it was tempting just to mess with the man, but her loyalty to Revna won out.

“Check it out. Not only is he there six days earlier, but look at the message he sent me while I was working.” An icon for an received message flashe in the corner.

When Runa pressed it, it was a video message from Mike, who seemed to be packing like a man being chased: =/\= Grav, hey I had to run. I gotta go get her, man. You know that. So I’m calling in, like, all my favors. I need you to get me to the Event Horizon station asap. I know you can pull some strings, so pull ‘em till they break. And find me a band at that station or get one there. Guitar and drummer. And I told Rev’s sister to watch the bar, so make sure you watch her, okay? But I think she’s solid. She won’t want to risk anything pulling me from her sister, I think. Anyway, gotta go. Send me the travel schedule when you get it. Later, brother. =/\= and the screen went dark.

Mardusk looked at Runa and said “Patience. You need it right now if you want your sister to be happy. And trust me… Mike’ll make her happy.”

Mardusk

Runa looked up at him totally serious, “I know he will. 1 because he’s smart, 2 because he’s totally in love with her, and 3 she’s totally in love with him. They’ve just been too hard headed to do anything about it.” She wiped the bar down and laughed, “Oh I want to be a fly on the wall when Revna sees him. I’m lording this over her for YEARS.
Alright so I’m watching the bar, you’re watching me, who’s watching the kids?”
Runa

Mardusk took a long pull from the pitcher and jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the random bar flies and career alcoholics a place like Mike’s appealed to. “They will.” and he wiped his mouth off.

Mardusk, CoS

Runa rolled her eyes oh yeah the parents were going to love that. She was sending pictures of this to Revna and she could show Mike. Toddler sleep over in his bar. Oh Mike may never forgive her but it would SO be worth it. “Alright you decide what concerts and I’ll arrange the days.” She glanced at the schedule Mardusk had on the PaDD again and shook her head. “I hope he knows what he’s getting into.”
Runa