A simple quest for freedom

[Erremnart]

Shuffling cards 2

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"Checkmate, Crash."
"Hmmh?"
"You are not paying attention - checkmate.", said ginger haired man in uniform sitting at the opposite side of the table and pointed at the chessboard in between them. He is Ben Sheffield, XO of battlecruiser INS Roanoke. He was about as old as Virginia herself, few years give or take.
"Yeah, you won again, Ben.", Virginia smirked at him and took a sip from her glass with moonshine.
"I usually win, but... I rarely defeat you under fifteen turns. Three times in a row. You are clearly not playing the game, so why have you come?".
Virginia sighed and took another sip from her glass, "Aight. Yes, you're correct.", Virginia reached for her cigarette case and put one of them between her lips, lighting it up with her lighter and drew from it before she continued, "I need something.".
"Why haven't you told me in the first place, then?", Ben smiled and looked at her.
"Fine. Fine.", Virginia stood up and started walking from one side of the room to another, "I think you have noticed that I am starting to spend more time aboard Roanoke than North Carolina, right?".
"Yes, I did."
"I find most of your officers... acceptable.", she drew on her cigarette again.
"Acceptable.", he chuckled, "Get to the point, Crash. You are acting weird today. You are usually more confident than you are now, even when you are wrong.".
"I need my senior medical officer here, aboard Roanoke."
"I see no problem with that. But...", he takes another sip from his glass, "Are you alright?".
"Yes, I'm fine.", Virginia replied with slightly annoyed tone and drew on her cigarette.
"Why do you even want your chief medical officer in here?", Ben started putting chess pieces back on chessboard.
"I'd like to tell you, but the thing is - I don't know how to explain it.", Virginia sighed and looked at him.
"So... are you terminally ill or anything like that?"
"What? No, no... it's just... don't ask, okay?"
"I'm your executive officer, captain, I need to know it it the crew is involved, you see? That's my job - you issue orders, I take care of the crew, so if there is anything going on with my superior officer, you, I need to know.", Ben said in pretty serious tone before to looked at the chessboard again.
"Oh don't you worry, I'm not dying. I'm fine, I just need my chief medical officer assigned here.", Virginia folded her arms and winked at him, "Maybe I can do something for you in return.".
"Crash... you always knew how to please a lonely man..."
"Ha-ha, very fun-ny, family guy, I'm dying laughing. Stop being sleazy like Jerkaryan, please. I'm serious."
"Yeah, my wife'd kill me.", Ben chuckled and raised his eyebrow when he asked another question, "Why don't you like Zakaryan?".
"He called me a 'good girl' over official channel, so he's jerk."
"Just that? It doesn't look th-"
"Yeah, I'm not someone's harlot. How'd feel if I'd called you a 'good boy' in front of the crew?"
"I admit that sounds pretty weird, especially from the mouth of superior officer."
"See? That's my point.", Virginia shook her head, "So... back to business, will you sign transfer of my chief medical officer, Ben?"
"Yes, I'll, but you will owe me."
"Sure I'll.", Virginia sighed with relief and walked towards the desk to pick up and raise her glass of moonshine.