The Qebui

[Tomtomrawr]

Laton chuckled. The drink was taking its affect on him now, his head was spinning. He staggered away from the central mass, now weakened enough so as not to keep him trapped, and slammed himself into the bar for balance. He laid his head down, allowing his knees to give way and fall to the floor. He was chuckling like a drunk.

Eventually, Arthur tapped him on the head and he regained control of his body. He stood up, and signalled to the violinists to stop playing. The song cut off, the clapping ceased, but the boots continued to pound the floor. The people inside didn't want to stop.

'Riiiiight!' Laton called out. The dancers finally stopped and faced him, most of them standing at attention. A few were spinning, obviously dazzled by the sudden change of noise and motion. He allowed some leniency for these few. 'We have a big day tomorrow, do we not?' He left it hanging for a few seconds, until finally the dancers began to respond with "Yes sir". 'It is now twenty-one hundred hours. The launch ceremony starts at ooh eight hundred. So you'll be needing a good night's sleep. Get to bed, that's an order!'

The people saluted, muttered various comments that could all be simplified to an agreement with him, and began to depart the bar. The disco-ball came to a stop, the normal lights flashing back into life. The people standing in the shadows, not dancing for a variety of reasons, were suddenly illuminated. One of them was Chief of Security Lewis Church, a six foot five black man with muscular arms described by many as oak tree trunks. He was bald, with deep brown eyes people found unreadable.

He watched the people depart, wishing to fall behind the crowd and keep to himself. One of the small groups he observed was lead by Lieutenant Eleanor Wish, the Squadron Leader for the Qebui. She was staring right at him. He looked back at her. She smiled, winked, and with a spin of her head her hair swished close behind and she began walking toward the cabins with some of her fellow pilots.

He watched her go. She was attractive, yes, but he wasn't ready to start dating again yet. He hadn't waited long enough since the death of his wife. Occasionally he saw her in the faces of other people. His wife haunted him like a ghost, although he knew she would never have wanted that for him.

Five minutes he waited in the bar, resting against the wall with his arms behind his back, before beginning his walk back to the crew cabins. It'd be a long day tomorrow, organising security during the launch ceremony. And then three months of what he hoped would be easy work. But his gut told him that wasn't what he would be receiving.

---

[17:45:39] Wolfs Ghost (Murphy): Tom, you have problems. Go kill yourself.
[19:25:12] Johnny (Jam): Tomtom, I will beat you with a spoon.
[14:22:56] Prarabdh Thakur: KILL HIM WITH A SHEEP.
[17:40:48] Eagle (Junes): Tom should be slapped with a spoon.
[11:32:18] Warspite: Thank you for being so awesome Tom. <3
[18:17:36] Metano: I love you tomtom
[20:06:24] Warspite: I will seriously give you epic head.

Edit: also, Tomtomrawr, fappin' like a boss.