Ted waved off the newest set of drinks from Moe "I think I've had enough at the moment." He stood, "I'll contact you via the net once I reach Malta." He nodded to Lou before exiting the bar.
"Don't drink and drive, ahn? Well, don't worry about the drink, it wont go to waste. I'll wait for your contact."
Lou finished his spliff, observing while Ted anxiously walked out of the bar. Rasing from his chair, he picked up both glasses of molly whiskey and crossed the room, in the direction of his sound equipment. While sipping from the first glass, he turned the amplifier on. Several hours now until he would hear from Ted again. He felt in the mood to play a little in the meantime.
Crazy Lou woke up in the middle of the night, startled. His comm terminal screen was flashing. He was having another nightmare, but it was already vanishing in his mind while he got up from the bed to see what was it about.
He walked to the terminal and pressed a button. It was a message from Ted. He had arrived safely at Malta and succesfully delivered the merchandise, and would spend the rest of the day in the 'cast home planet, returning next night. That was only reasonable. Besides, a full day breathing that cardamine rich air would do wonders to Ted's withdrawal symptomes.
Lou quickly answered the message, and decided to smoke a spliff before returning to bed.
Niverton Base - Pennsylvania System
December - 822 A.S.
Ted entered the bar and walked up to Moe with a backpack "Hey, use this to re-fill Lou's stash, and hide the rest from me until I really need it" Ted giggled and went and sat down at the usual table "And Two Whiskys too!"
The comm terminal was flashing again, when Lou exited the shower. It was a message from Moe: "Kid's back with some cardie. Already drinking on your tab again." He dressed up, exited his dorm and passed through the docking bays on his way to the lower level of Niverton. As he entered the bar he saw Ted sitting at the same chair as the previous day.
"Got back early, ahn? I thought you would get here later tonite. I bet the breeze of Malta's mountains did wonders to your humor..." - said Lou while he sat down, grabbing the second glass of whiskey and taking a sip - "Anyway, I received your manifests, and the docking master tells me it's all ok with the cargo, and the cardie is already being sold at the commodities vendor in the main level. Well done, Ted..." - Lou shifted his weight and inclined back in the chair, lighting up a spliff. He appreciated the flavor for a while, and released the smoke while talking - "You fulfilled your part with ease, I must admit. And there are plenty of business opportunities for a pilot like you here at Niverton. Now, the question that remains is: are you really willing to become a Rogue, kiddo?!"
Ted giggled as Lou took a seat. "Lou, I'm a Slaver, there are few who are willing to associate with me, I should be asking the other way around, are you really willing to work with me." Ted broke down laughing loudly. "But yes Lou, anything that gets the Roach Coach flying and making credits again is okay for me." pausing a moment to take a drink "So does this make us partners?"
Lou could see that the kid had potential. And he liked the business too, apparently. Few were willing to do this job, and most of those were too young to know better. Specially in the rogues ranks. That was one of the reasons Lou was respected: old rogues are rare.
"Oh! An evil slaver!" - he smiled at Ted - "Yeah, well, I'm not exactly a Manhattan lawyer either, I think you've noticed. Look, I've seen worse places than this rock, but not many. If you are willing to stay here, who am I to say anything? Niverton and myself surely have plenty of work for you and your ship. With your Liner and our freighters as scouts we can keep the orange flowing again, and the slaves too. And with the profits starting to rise we can contact the junkers to sell us or build a new Liner, what do you say?" - another pause to smoke his spliff - "But, then again, let's not get ahead of ourselves. First we need to get that Rogue IFF for your ship. The mechs finished fixing my rhino a couple hours ago. And the new IFF codes are ready. We can depart after you are rested, what do you say?" - Lou extended his right hand to Ted, saying - "Well, then, welcome to the Niverton Rogues, kiddo!"
Ted grinned as he took Lou's hand "I'm stoked to get back on my usual route Lou" taking another swing of his drink and nodded at Lou "I've transmitted my plans to the Roach Coach, and most of the crew has agreed to stay on, I've already arranged to have them bought out using funds from the ship. Once we arrive on Freeport 10 with the new transponder I'll be able to get rolling almost immediately." Ted casually glanced at his watch, noting the time. "Lets get rolling in say 4 hours" pausing to drink again, "What do you say?"
"Four hours sounds good to me. You can take a nap and I can drink in the meantime. Well, by now the guys already know you are working with me. Talk to Burt, at the docks. He is our docking master and mechanic. He will arrange a dorm for you to stay here at Niverton." - he finished his whiskey - "My ship is at docking bay one. You can't miss it, it's the only rhino there..."
Ted smiled, "I'll bet there is a story behind that" he stood up a stretched. "I'll see you in a few then, I'm gonna go catch some shut eye" Ted dropped off his empty glass with Moe and left the bar
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