The two fighters docked in Daltas Hold. Both were painted in TGFT regulation standard green. The two ships disgorged two pilots clad in identical flightsuits, the same colour as the ships. Waldoze and Buzz walked over to the dockmaster and arranged for two rooms where they could dress in somewhat less official clothes. Six minutes later, Waldoze was pounding impatiently on Buzz's door. Buzz opened and Waldoze was outside with a bottle of Helio Mists in his left hand, and an immense grin on his face.
"What took you so bloody long?" Buzz grinned back. He had changed out of his jump suit and into a pair of slacks, with a very colourful shirt open to the third button. He closed the door and accepted the bottle Waldoze presented him. He took a large swig of the bottle, grimaced as the fiery liquid hit his palate, flinched when it trickled down his throat and smiled as it hit his stomach with the potency of an Avalon.
"Ah, nice. What the h*** is that you're wearing? A skirt?" He indicated the skirt that Waldoze was wearing.
"Tis a kilt you daft trader. I made a wager with John, ok? And so, here I am, wearing Ecka's kilt, and hoping that he will not find out until it has been returned. Or I will be minced meat." Waldoze accepted the bottle and drank deep, his adams apple bobbing up and down several times.
"And?" Buzz looked expectantly.
"And what?"
"And what would have happened if you won the bet?"
Waldoze took another swig and grinned like a madman at Buzz. "I won the bet mate. Now less talk and more movement."
Buzz wracked his head for a reasonable reply, but failed miserably. In the end he merely laughed out loud and started walking after Waldoze.
"Oooh, the liquor was spilt on the barroom floor
And the bar was closed for the night." Waldoze sang at a very loud voice.
Buzz shook his head, nothing else to do but join in.
"When out of the hole came a little brown mouse
And sat in the pale moon light."
The two men walked down the corridor singing and drinking all the way. They came to their destination, a black door with blue neon lights. The Priggly Pear. The two large men outside directed their attention towards Waldoze and Buzz, and one of them reached back to get a stun baton out.
"Now now, we are not here to fight. We are here to shpend shome moneys" Buzz slurred, having drunk around half a bottle of Helio Mists. The first bottle was finished, and Waldoze was trying his best to make a huge dent in the second. The larger of the bouncers started to block the way for Buzz, but the 5k credstik Buzz put in his hand made him move aside. Waldoze staggered into The Priggly Pear without noticing the bouncers at all.
The music inside was very loud as last time they were here, with the same amount of lighting, and the same show on the stage. A girl Waldoze knew was called Dandelion was slowly dancing under the lone spot.
"Dooooooooooooooozzzzzzeer," the very loud shrill voice was calling him from the bar. Lily, the reason he was here. She came running on her usual plateau shoes and threw herself around Waldozes's neck and kissed him hard. She turned while hanging there and shouted to the room.
"Girls, this is the guy that ensured your retirement fund. Make sure he has a great time with his buddy Buzz here."
She planted another kiss on Waldozes's mouth and lead him to the front chair. Two girls entered the stage, Rose and Magnolia, and Buzz focused all his attention on the stage.
Waldoze leant over Lily and whispered, "Lily, honey, just how much was on that credstick? Not that I want it back or anything, just curious."
Lily looked at him and whispered back, "38 million credits, and some change."
Waldoze smiled immensely and leant back, dragging Lily with him. "Life is good,' he said, "life is sometimes really really good."
Mystic waved her hand in front of Hortan's head, no response, then snapped her fingers, same. Azumi walked over and pinched his ear, and that made him snap out of it.
"Me, Mah," he swallowed hard, "I, I fwal, pah."
Azumi leant over and kissed Hortan on the cheek, and that gave him the necessary shock to snap out of it. The result was a bit more than she bargained for though. Hortan fainted.
Mystic and Azumi caught him as he dropped, and were standing with his arms around their wastes and their arms holding his body and head, bent low over him as yoda entered the bay.
"Well, rip off my arms and beat me to death with the bleeding stumps. How the bloody hell did he manage to seduce the two off you in less than five minutes. He has got to be the best bloody hero ever to come out of UIT."
Hortan woke up, Mystic's and Azumi's faces merely centimetres away from his own. Their arms were holding him, and his arms were. He blushed even more than he ever had before, and tried muttering something.
"It is not what it seems yoda, he fainted after I kissed him," Azumi protested, letting Hortan down on the floor with Mystic's help.
"I am sure you swooned him Az, how could he resist? But you too Red? I am stunned beyond comprehension," the little man actually smiled.
"No yoda, it is not like that."Mystic started, and then stopped herself again. What was she saying, and why was she defending herself? Going for the old tactics of attacking when on the defensive she rose to her full height which was twice yoda's.
"What is in the box yoda, a present?"
"You can say that Red, I guess it is somehow." Yoda walked over to the box and ignored the prone Hortan with Azumi still holding his head. "If I am guessing correctly, we have a real honey pot right here."
Hortan got up in sitting position. "Mr. yoda sir, I am to deliver this crate to you from TGFT, as we agreed. And now I will please ask for permission to..." yoda waved a hand at Azumi and interrupted Hortan.
"Wah wah, yada yada. Azumi takes care of you, you have delivered, and I have no use for you now. So scuttle along."
Hortan got up and looked at his Atlas. It would take at least another hour for them to finish it. He was just going to wait in the cockpit then, because he could not stand here next to the enchanting..... Azumi grabbed his hand and pulled him down the corridor for about ten paces until he started to get out of the range of the pheromones. Then he realised that he was standing with his mouth open staring at Azumi. The by now familiar warm tingling sensation bubbled up from his stomach to his chest and cheeks. He blushed madly and tried to look anywhere else but at her.
She smiled, now she was in control again. "Come on, lets let you buy me a drink while we wait for the mechanics." She turned and walked down to the residential area, sure that Hortan would follow. As he did.
