Up the creek

[Malious]

Malious' smile never once dropped as he felt the ever so light tug from the forces being applied to his ship. "Well, to be honest, we're out here in the soup. I may have pissed off a select few of the local wildlife. Namely some of the corsairs. Hence my current predicament, take my cargo and shoot out my engines." He sat back and crossed his arms trusting his ships computer systems to help compensate thrusters for the trip to Atka.

He sighed "I suppose I owe you an explanation, don't I?" his shoulders slumped somewhat as his mood started to burn from pleasantly surprised to serious. "Why I didn't make contact for those years?" Malious once again leaned back internally debating on what to tell her. "Well I guess you deserve one, but not today, its a long and arduous story, I don't want to get into. Just.. rest assured I would have contacted you sooner and not in these circumstances if I was able. It was more or less a lucky break I got you out here as is. Rumor from the bars and freeports, heard you had some work out this way so I figured it was high time I came out and settled a debt I had with some of the corsairs. The messenger they sent was some punk who thought it'd be happy times to shoot out my engines before meeting up. Claimed it was for 'insurance'"

Malious shrugged as if disinterested with the predicament. "Yes, Suria, it's very good to see you. I honestly expected to just kind of float out here with no chance of getting back. Seems as if lady luck smiled upon me though." He smiled at the screen "Honestly though, I'd have said something sooner if I could have. I'm just happy to see you Suria, alive and well. I was worried for you ever since that day" He looked out the cockpit to see Atka growing larger in the distance.

"Atka Station this is Freelancer Malious, having a bit of an issue from the locals, mind opening a port for a broken down hawk? I can guide her in, just need the ports opened." he waited for the dull voice of the traffic control operator to come over the comm link. and looked back at his direct line with Suria. "ill disable the couplings when I get the approval, the inerta from the tow will get me in so i can maneuver without fear of slapping a wall and you know... dying." He thought for a moment. "Come see me in the bar when we get in there. We've got some catching up to do."

He smiled at the monitor and punched in the commands to drop the magnetic links with the umbilicus connecting the two ships. His ship continued moving towards the station small directional thrusters guiding his path. After some of the slow maneuvering the port bays closed solidly behind him.

Soon after he was up and free of his ship, making his way to the mechanics and equipment dealers. "get my bird flying again." pointing back to the docking bays. "I'll be in the bar, I can pay whatever it takes. thanks." He was in a hurry and didn't want to waste time on getting to the bar to seeing Suria again. He was practically jogging along the small stations halls to the local bar. He poked his head around the corner seeing many of the Scientists and workers of the station. Malious walked into the place and found a nice corner booth away from the small group of people already in the bar. He flagged the robot waiter over, as was normal in these small stations. "Coffee, bring a pot, two cups"

Malious sat back in the booth, now left to wait.