A/N
Don't worry, I'm still alive.
Although, the (roughly) twenty-eight page paper I've been writing the past few weeks has sucked away most of my free time. The University courses I took this summer have been a lot more labor-intensive than expected.
The first few chapters of the revised Team MARS Part 3 will be going up soon. Not because the story is complete (far from it actually) but because I've been strapped with writer's block and I just feel the need to put something out there. It's been almost a year since I took the original story down, I've gone through several iterations and rewrites of the story, and I've made far less progress than I hoped to.
Chances are I'll upload chapters in batches, just in case I need to change things along the way.
Chapter 72…
Ashley had never thought she would be so grateful for a bed…
Well, not a bed per-say… more of a cot than anything else.
A small puff escaped from the dark haired woman's lips as she rolled over in the warm, scratchy covers. Ashley's calloused fingers curled into the hem of the heavy sheet, pulling the fabric closer up to her collarbone.
'Bed, cot… whatever…'
Pushing herself deeper into the shallow folds of the fabric, Ashley took the opportunity for some much needed silence. Other than the ever-so-slight hum of the room's exposed conduits and the shifting of the fabric covers Ashley's ears were unburdened by any loud noises.
No gunshots, no shifting metal, no sound of rain…
No voices, no headaches…
When was the last time she had been able to enjoy something like this? Not since her time on Antheia, where she had rented a small room in the local inn for herself, had Ashley enjoyed a silence this golden. The bunk rooms in the upstairs section of MacAllen's were shared; and Ashley had since learned to pull the covers over her head when in the company of others.
But now…?
'Bliss…'
Or as close to bliss as she could possibly come. There was just one thing that Ashley was missing, the last puzzle piece for what would be the perfect relaxation session.
Sitting up in her current position on the cot, Ashley allowed the scratchy fabric of the cover to fall off of her shoulders and pool around her waist. The bare skin of her now-exposed chest was tickled by the cool air circulating through the room's ventilation system. Ashley's lack of clothing was another much-needed respite; the scratches, cuts, and bruises littering her body were exposed to the cool air - a surprisingly pleasant sensation.
Leaning over the side of the cot, Ashley grunted as the bruised skin of her abdomen gently stretched in response to her motions. The angry purple splotches stood out against her otherwise pale skin, but they did not feel nearly as agonizing as they did a few days before.
Next to the cot and resting on the ground was a bottle. Ashley's hand wrapped around its cool surface and lifted it towards her, the amber coloured liquid within shifting and sloshing about.
Ashley's obsidian coloured eyes watched as the amber liquid sloshed around inside the bottle. A small smile lifting up the edges of her lips. Placing the bottle's cork between her teeth, Ashley tugged until the cork was pulled loose with a sudden audible 'pop'. Spitting out the cork, Ashley watched as it tumbled onto the bedsheets and rolled off of the cot; but she was less interested in the cork than she was the neck of the bottle now firmly wedged between her lips.
It wasn't the best whiskey… but in Ashley's opinion it was well worth the credits she had spent on it. The mission on Lyra-1 had netted Ashley a spectacular amount of credits, even after Barker had deducted some of the reward to pay off Ashley's debt to him. A celebration was in order, and a celebration called for a good drink.
The dark haired woman hummed to herself as she pulled the mouth of the bottle away from her wet lips. A sharp taste filled Ashley's mouth as she swallowed down the burning liquid in one quick gulp. Licking her lips, Ashley rested the bottom of the open bottle against the fabric blanket and turned her head to the right.
The view from Ashley's window had been a lot more impressive yesterday, but now there was very little to look at. Yesterday, Ashley had had a prime view of both Lyra and Lyra-1, a gas giant and the rainy little moon her most recent mission had taken place on, respectively. The two stellar bodies had made for an interesting vista to gaze at. But now there was nothing - nothing but the endless black void of space, broken up only by a distant scattering of starlight.
Ashley raised the whiskey to her lips and took a slow sip of the burning liquid before lowering the bottle once again. Her dark eyes remained fixed on the equally dark void just outside the window.
A perk of being a pilot, even one working for a mercenary group, was that Ashley didn't have to share a bunk with anyone else. Her small room on the Militia cruiser, the MCS Dorado, was comparable to her accommodations on the Medusa. The room was small, able to be crossed in just a few quick paces; a sizable window sat opposite of the entryway, and a tiny personal bathroom was separated by a narrow door.
It had only been a few months since Ashley had abandoned the IMC, but to the dark haired woman it felt like a lifetime ago. Ashley had plenty of bad memories from those days, but none occurred in that tiny, peaceful little room on the Medusa.
Well… there was one memory that Ashley was trying to forget; not for what had happened, pleasant as it had been in the moment, but because she felt an indescribable amount of loathing for the other person involved…
Curling her lips in distaste, Ashley's fingers gripped tightly around the dimensions of the whiskey bottle. Taking a deep breath, the dark haired woman relaxed her fingers and took a quick sip of alcohol to dispel the dark thoughts creeping into her mind…
Wiggling in her seated position, Ashley pushed herself lower into the covers. She absentmindedly pawed her unoccupied hand against the scratchy blanket pooled around her waist, pulling it up higher to shield her skin from the cool air flowing throughout the room.
Ashley raised the bottle to her lips again…
The door buzzer went off…
For a moment, Ashley sat still in confusion, the mouth of the bottle still hovering inches from her lips.
The door buzzer went off again…
"Fuck off…" Ashley hissed under her breath, closing her eyes in frustration and rolling the back of her head against the smooth wall behind her. "Just go away…"
Once again the door buzzer sounded, a persistent drone filling the once quiet room as the person on the other side of the door repeatedly pressed the intercom.
"Fuck off…" Ashley hissed again, this time a little bit louder. Her fingers were gripping the whiskey bottle with some force, to the point where some of Ashley's cuts felt like they were about to re-open. "Just fuck off, please…"
Again and again, the door buzzer sounded.
"Goddammit…"
With some reluctance, Ashley rose from the scratchy covers of her cot. Bending over, the dark haired woman first fumbled around for the discarded cork of the whiskey bottle. She found it after some searching, the cork having rolled underneath her cot. It had rolled until it came to a rest against one of the spare bottles of alcohol Ashley had hidden away beneath the piece of furniture…
'Some things never change…' Ashley thought to herself as she retrieved the cork and squeezed it back into place on the bottle.
Rolling the whiskey bottle beneath the cot, Ashley turned to the next obstacle impeding her from answering the person at the door - her lack of clothing.
Thankfully, the floor presented plenty of options…
With some difficulty, Ashley bent down and began collecting some of the loose articles of clothing littering the ground. The dark haired woman eschewed underlayers in favour of a baggy shirt and pants, which she wasted no time in pulling over her body.
The door buzzer sounded again…
"I'm coming!" Ashley yelled towards the door.
Taking a moment to kick the remainder of her clothing underneath the cot, Ashley smoothed out her shirt and hobbled towards the door.
The door buzzer sounded for one last time…
"For fucks sake, have some patience!" Ashley huffed as she fiddled with the door's controls. After a few moments of toggling around with the controls the door slid open to the side.
Standing on the other side of the doorway was the last person Ashley wanted to see on what was supposed to be a day of rest.
"Hey, 'Kara…" Barker offered Ashley a wry grin as he leaned on the doorframe.
"Barker…" Ashley huffed and shook her head. "What the fuck is it?"
"Where's all this hostility coming from?"
"I'm pretty sure that you just wore out my room's buzzer," Ashley closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Why couldn't you just knock?"
"I figured that you were sleeping-"
"Then why the hell would you keep pressing the buzzer!?"
"... either that or you were dead," Barker shrugged, finishing his statement. "I came to check up on you."
"And as you can see I am still very much alive," Ashley narrowed her eyes and lifted her hand towards the door controls. "I'd suggest that you step out of the way-"
"Hold on!" Barker held out his arm to block the open door frame. "Not just yet, 'Kara…"
"What?"
"Can I come in for a second?"
"What? No-"
"Thanks, I appreciate it," Barker quickly cut Ashley off, barging past the dark haired woman and entering her room.
"Hey!?" Ashley spat in her employer's direction. "What the hell!?"
"Close the door, 'Kara."
"What-"
"Close the door," Barker repeated, his back turned to the dark haired woman. His tone was noticeably more firm than it had been before, marked by a certain seriousness which Ashley had not expected from Barker.
Pursing her lips, Ashley closed the door, leaving her and Barker isolated.
"Nice place you've got here…" Barker muttered as he paced around the small space. "Very… quant…"
Barker's eyes flicked towards the room's cot, and the messy pile of clothes Ashley had hastily pushed underneath.
"I see that you've already started decorating-"
"Barker…" Ashley leaned against the door and fought the urge to rub her temples. "What do you want?"
"Alcohol."
"What?"
"You got any?"
"No-"
"Don't lie to me…" Barker gave Ashley a long look. "You and I both know that you have a stash somewhere here…"
The older man's eyes flicked back towards the cot.
"Now, are you going to grab it? Or do I have to go rooting through your unmentionables?"
Ashley returned her employer's long look.
"I'm not in trouble, am I?"
"Of breaking Militia regulations on the 'consumption of controlled substances'," Barker nattered. "Sure, but so am I… and I'm not a snitch. I'm just a guy looking for a drink."
"Then go to the mess hall."
"Yeah, but I'd like a drink right now," Barker pointed towards the ground. "You and I need to talk, but I want some alcohol first. So you can share some of your stash here, or I can drag you off to the mess hall where we'll be surrounded by prying eyes."
"Oh, anything but that…" Ashley squeezed her eyes shut. "Alright, just… hold on a second…"
Brushing past her employer, Ashley bent down and began reaching underneath her cot. After some blind fumbling around the dark haired woman succeeded in wrapping her hands around the whiskey bottle. She pulled the bottle out from its hiding place, stood up, and offered the glass container to her employer.
Accepting the bottle from Ashley, Barker pulled out the cork and sniffed the contents.
"Not bad…" Barker complimented.
The older man took a quick swig, his face twisting into a grimace as he pulled his lips away from the neck of the bottle.
"Sour…" Barker coughed.
"Don't barge into my place and then insult my choice of booze."
"Yeesh, sorry…" Barker coughed again into his hand. The man held out the open bottle in Ashley's direction and wiggled it gently. "Want some?"
"You realise that that's my whiskey, right?"
"Did anyone ever tell you that you're a little bit unpleasant, 'Kara?"
"Just about everyone I've ever met…" Ashley frowned, reaching out to take the bottle from Barker. Ashley took a quick gulp of its contents before crudely wiping her lips and fixing Barker with a long look. "Barker, seriously, why are you here?"
"Remember what I said about 'prying eyes' earlier?" Barker took a step back and sat down on the edge of Ashley's messy cot. "Hey?"
"Yes."
"Well, I'm here because of your prying eyes…"
Barker let the statement hang in the air. The man reached out his arm towards the bottle in Ashley's hand, his fingers making a gentle gesture indicating that he wanted it back.
"Mine?" Ashley frowned as she handed the whiskey bottle back to Barker.
"Now I'm sure that you have plenty of questions about what happened a few days ago, back down in that cave," Barker elaborated. "Most of us - scratch that, all of us in the ACE Ops are privy to some pretty sensitive information. But you're a newcomer, so…"
"You're worried about me running my mouth?" Ashley cocked her head. "Barker, do I seem like the kind of person to do that?"
"No, but you and I still need to have this little talk," Barker shrugged, moving his hand to gently shake the remaining contents of the whiskey bottle. "Just so we're clear… whatever happened down in that cavern… and whatever we may or may not have seen… is all considered classified information. Loose lips sink ships and all that… am I clear?"
"Crystal clear."
"Alright then," Barker cleared his throat. "Now, I suppose that I should bring you up to speed a little bit-"
"There was a planet called Typhon, the IMC was moving something called an ark… I've already gotten the memo, Barker."
"From who?" Barker blinked in surprise.
"Cadman told me," Ashley shrugged.
Barker's nostrils flared, and Ashley felt a sudden tugging sensation in her gut… the sudden realization that she may have done something wrong.
"He…" Barker hesitated for a moment. "Shouldn't have told you anything…"
"I-" Ashley coughed awkwardly into her hand. "Don't blame him, I was curious and he told me."
"And what exactly did he tell you?" Barker muttered, gripping the bottle tightly as he slowly arose from his seat.
Ashley held her ground, crossing her arms across her chest.
"What I just told you," Ashley pursed her lips. "There was a planet called Typhon, the IMC were using something called an 'ark', and the Militia ended up destroying the planet."
Barker viewed Ashley with a critical, almost calculating gaze. In the moment he seemed the opposite of his usual boisterous self.
"Alright, I'm willing to believe you…" Barker cocked his head, still not having taken his eyes off of Ashley. "But he shouldn't have done that… and I don't want to ever hear you talk openly about any of this, alright?"
"Look who you're talking to…" Ashley held out her hand. "Now, hand me back my whiskey."
Barker offered Ashley a small chuckle and gave the woman the requested bottle. Ashley took a long gulp from its contents before she lowered the bottle down towards her waist.
"Well, that's cleared up then… even if it isn't the way I wanted to do things…" Barker coughed and clapped his hands together. "So, what have you been up to these last few days, 'Kara?"
"That's not your business…"
"Harsh," Barker shook his head. "Come on, I can't make a bit of conversation with you?"
"No."
"You're far too antisocial, 'Kara… you really need to put yourself out there."
"I've always preferred quiet places," Ashley gestured to her small room. "Believe it or not, I don't like dealing with people."
"You don't like dealing with people? Or you don't like people…?" Barker narrowed his eyes.
"I said what I said…"
"Because to me, it sounds like you just haven't been dealing with the right people," Barker cocked his head and smirked. "Us in the ACE Ops… we're a fun bunch, aren't we?"
"Not my kind of fun-"
"You just need a little more exposure," Barker's smirk morphed into a grin. The man tossed the cork towards Ashley, which she deftly caught. "How about… tonight!"
"What!?"
"The second reason for why I came here was to tell you about the party we're having tonight in the mess hall," Barker explained. "Usually we save the festivities for home… but we're going to be away from Harmony for a while."
"I'll pass-"
"No, you won't."
"Excuse me?"
"You're the woman of the hour," Barker gave Ashley a congratulatory clap on the shoulder as he made for the door. "You'll be the subject of the toast… and it would be pretty awkward if you didn't show up…"
"Once again, I'll pass…" Ashley looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at her employer.
"Oh, you misunderstand… I'm telling you to come," Barker paused once he reached the door.
"Barker-"
"I'll be buying the first few rounds," Barker looked over his shoulder. "The top shelf stuff, by the way…"
Ashley hesitated for a long moment.
"I'll think about it."
"Relax, I just did the thinking for you…" Barker offered Ashley a mock salute as he opened the door and stepped through the entryway. "Twenty-one hundred hours, mess hall, be there…"
"Well, I guess a few drinks couldn't hurt…"
After stepping through the door, Barker turned to briefly face Ashley.
"You don't have to stay for the whole party," Barker shrugged. "To be honest with you, 'Kara, I'd just like to see you come out of your shell for once…"
Ashley frowned. "I appreciate the gesture, Barker."
"Your prickly, unpleasant, downright rude outer shell…" Barker crossed his arms. "Oh, and make sure that you shower beforehand, okay?"
"Fuck off, Barker," Ashley's frown twisted into a scowl.
"And…" Barker trailed off, one hand reaching up to point a finger at Ashley's chest. "Maybe consider wearing a bra too, hey?."
Ashley opened her mouth, a biting retort already prepared, but managed only a series of grunts as she fumbled over her words.
"Catch you later, 'Kara."
Offering Ashley one last sly grin, Barker closed the door.
Ashley considered throwing the bottle of whiskey at him, but it would have been a waste of good booze…
