Smugglers Cove (Love2write and Silence)

Killian rushed back to the girl's room and returned with the boom box. Plugging it in he set it on the night stand so they wouldn't risk knocking it over. Gently pulling her closer to himself he put a hand around her lower back. Personally he liked to be close to her. Getting close like this was a trick without being overly touchy so dancing was a great excuse. He could feel her little toes flexing into the tops of his boots.

As the song progressed she ended up resting her head on his chest. The captain slowed down when they got to the end of the song. It was probably better that he didn't dance more since he wanted to still have a drink with the woman. Instead she mentioned the time when he was hurt and the dress. What was most surprising was the kiss. Killian's eyes narrowed slightly. "No....I don't remember you kissing me. If you did I-I would." For all his life he was trying to pry the memory from his brain and it wasn't coming. "I remember the dress. You look nice in red."

Noticing a slight blush in her cheeks he grinned. "Yep...You look good in that kind of red too." Walking over to the bed with her he set her down and then plopped next to her. "Think you're up to a drink?"

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Andy sat out in the main meeting room with Timo. The boy seemed to want her to see his cat, Comet. Patiently she waited for him to quit petting the animal and let her see it. "I'll show you a trick." Producing a little red laser she flashed it on the floor in front of the cat and it started to immediately paw at it and chase. Handing the light to the boy she winked. "You can keep that. I think that the cat will like it more than I do."

Looking up she noticed that the doctor was pacing about as if he was irritated by something. The other woman must have really been a favorite cause the two men in her age range were both trying to spend time with her. Unfortunately the doctor had a legitimate excuse while it was more obvious that the captain doted on her because he wanted to. Getting up from her place, Andy almost skipped over to where Timo was. "Ever try skating?" She was more than happy to help others into her own self made mischief. The woman had gathered several cylinder shaped wheels. They turned too easily and that was what had been causing some of the issue with the wings becoming floppy. It made for great skates though.

You've got that ramp right over there and it's always a blast to race down and see if we can reach the bottom. There were only three, but she was familiar with the game. Strapping one to the bottom of her foot she grinned. "You do the same." Handing one to Timo she waited till they were ready and then darted off toward the top of the ramp. "First one wins."

One foot was constantly slipping and that was what made the game all the better. At the top she placed her one foot on top of the wheeled one and then held her hands out. "Now each of us have to hold onto the others and then we go down in a three foot skate."
 
Star looked a confused as Killian claimed not to remember the kiss. Maybe she'd been remembering a dream or mixed the memory up with something else. She couldn't help the flush that came to her cheeks when he mentions the dress and how pretty she'd looked.
They sat down and nodded to wanting to have a drink. "Yeah. What are we having?"
She smiles as he pulled out a bottle of wine and poured them a glass. It was like he was recreating the memory she'd just described. "You're a secret romantic under all that gruff aren't you?" Star teases. She clinks his glass taking a long sip, smiling as it warmed her cold body. "Mmm, that's nice." Star looks over at Killian. "I've been remembering more. About my past...my brother, Caleb,...we were really close but I can't remember what happened to him or where his is. I wonder if he's worried about me." Her eyebrows knit together slightly then she shakes her head and takes another sip. "I'll have to try and contact him somehow."

****
Timo yelled in glee as they skated down the ramp. He grabbed her hands, laughing as they spun around awkwardly, barley keeping their balance. He yelps as his foot slips, and he falls right into Andy, knocking her over. "Ah, haha, sorry!" He laughs, attempting to get off of her. "You ok?"
 
Killian just grinned while he poured a glass for her and one for himself. "Oh I don't know if I'd go that far." She had no idea that he was about as unromantic as they came. Never learned to be romantic with a girl. They'd only served a few purposes when he was growing up and this was not one of them. Still it was nice to feel about her like he did. Just so long as James didn't show up. Downing the first glass in the time that she sipped hers he almost had to wince at her comment about her brother. Killian didn't want to tell her but, like other things in life it was only fair to tell her what really happened. "Star..." Setting his glass down he then reached for hers and set it aside on the side table. "You're brother is dead. I don't remember the whole story. Just you said he died in your arms and he was the one that taught you what a man could be."

It was his hope that reminding her of something good about the brother would quell the onslaught of tears that were sure to follow this disaster of a comment. Killian searched her face earnestly. He didn't want her to cry but, he had a feeling it was coming.

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Andy had thought that the boy wouldn't be trying skate behind her. He was being such a little chicken. With an oomph she landed on the ramp and skid part way down it. "Oooh..." Taking in a sharp breath she looked at her skinned elbows. "Oh I'm fine. You little chicken. Skate next to me next time." Glancing over at the doctor she got a broader grin. "How about you? Wanna try skating with one foot?"

All the fun was interrupted in a few moments by the captain and the girl. Quickly the two of them whipped past and toward the woman's room. It left Andy with only a few assumptions. So far from what she'd witnessed the man was pretty horrible.
 
Her expression fell. "Oh, I see." She finishes the current glass and holds it close to the bottle, signaling him to pour some more. She was sad to hear that the only family she could remember was gone...but neither could she grieve. She didn't remember enough of him to grieve. Star leaned against Killian heavily taking another sip, every swallow seeming to raise her body temperature to a normal level. "Thanks...for letting me know. It would have been worse going around thinking he was alive then suddenly remembering he wasn't. What about you? Do you have family? Parents? Siblings?"
***********
"You're bigger though and softer to land on." Timo laughs.
Kato looked up as the new member invited him to play. "Eh, no. Thankyou. And be careful...I don't want to be stitch your head tonight." He shook a finger at them then sat down, trying to keep himself occupied with charts on datapad.
 
At least the woman didn't cry this time. Killian had been somewhat braced for it. Of course that would be the one tie that she didn't. It was ironic how he could be ready and it wouldn't happen. More than likely when she decided to cry he wouldn't be even close to prepared. Pouring another glass for her and himself Killian settled back onto the bed and listened to her. Well it was odd to think that perhaps her brother was the only family she had or remembered. Somehow he'd always thought that she knew more about her family than that.

Wrapping an arm around Star he pulled her closer to himself. Bringing one knee up he rested the heel of his boot on the rung of the bed. "Nope, no family. At least not any that I know of. Grew up on my own." Taking another sip of the wine he glanced down at her. "Why would you ask something like that anyway? You think a man like me would have a mother?" He snorted slightly. "If I did she'd be horrified with my manners." Then again there was always the sobering fact that maybe she wouldn't care. Probably hadn't considering he hadn't one memory of the woman. Nobody wanted street kids and he knew that. Timo was just lucky to have been a gutsy little fella and confident in Star's affection. More than likely if the whole group of street kids were around he would have gotten himself a ship full of the rats.

Suddenly he started to get a few ideas. They were good. What if he got a few kids and trained them to be shipmates? Could get them trained in different areas for the ships and they would work for smugglers cheap. He could sell them to other crews and the kids would grow up better than they did on the streets. Then in a while the kid would either pay off the captain that bought them or they would kill the crew and take over if the crew was bad. That was a good thing.

Killian felt her finger poke at him a few times and then he was brought back to reality. "Oh what?"
 
"You were lost in thought." She giggles, her face red from the wine. She lay on her stomach, her right arm on his chest with her chin on her arm so she was looking right at his face, while her left hand held the wine she continued to sip on. This was the most comfortable she'd felt in months. Cuddling with someone who clearly cared for her, even if she were still relearning to feel the same. "Well, I don't know what sort of mom you had, but I know that I like you. I think you're very interesting." Her voice slurred ever so slightly and she'd begun to take on a hint of the drunken-man demeanor. "I mean...you run an entire crew. You have a fun engineer...an amusing kid...with a cat, I might add. You keep me around even though I'm completely useless." She had a hold of his eyes, refusing to look away. "You carried me when I couldn't hold myself up...you should do that more. I really like it. You're like a living teddybear."
 
Killian met her gaze again and shrugged. "Yeah maybe." He felt her readjust slightly and he figured since she was getting cozy he might as well to. Resting a hand on her back was good enough for now. From his memory she was a bit skiddish and he didn't need to mess things up. Not like she was the prostitute you just took to bed. A smirk came to his face. "Is that so?" Star was definitely drunk by the way she kept on slurring and saying a bunch of things that an uninhibited brain might. It was interesting anyway to know that she actually liked him still.

The captain held his laughter back while Star tried to describe what was interesting. Mike wasn't a person he would have thought to be fun. To make it all the more amusing she called Killian a teddy bear. "Well this doesn't seem to be the right time to be carrying you around. I might hold you for a few minutes though." Pushing gently with his arm he moved her a little more over his chest. "Now what shall I say about you? Hmm?"

For a moment he stared into her eyes and then he started with a grin on his face. "There is something about your hair. I like it." Reaching up with one hand he brushed her hair gently. "Then there's that little bit of fire in you. Never met a lady quite like you before." It looked like she was starting to get tired so he moved to sit up and help her get back into the chair. "I'll get you back to your bedroom." Leaning over the chair slightly he tilted his head so he could see her better. "Since I don't remember the last kiss shall we try it again just to see if it jogs my memory?"
 
Star smiled as he complimented her, yawning lightly in spite of herself. She moans sadly as he helps her back into her the wheelchair. "Since I don't remember the last kiss shall we try it again just to see if it jogs my memory?"
She blinks and smiles at him like a fool. "If you want..." She grins. His lips com close and she closes her eyes, enjoying their softness. The kiss sparks a number of feelings she didn't know she had for him. Anger and frustration, mixed with admiration and trust. Whatever her history she remembered this, she trusted him...with her life.

***
It was bitterly-sweet being put to bed by him. She didn't want the night to end but her eyes were falling closed in spite of herself. He turned to leave, but she caught his hand. "Stay with me? Till I fall asleep?" She didn't care if Andy was there to watch or not.
 
"Of course I want." Leaning a bit closer Killian planted a kiss on her lips. He was thinking about a second but, he knew where that would take him. Instead he gave a playful growl and started to wheel her toward the door. "We'd better get you back to your room before curfew." It was mostly a joke since curfew was only on the planets during certain levels of distress or if criminals were abroad.

In her room Killian picked her out of the chair and laid her down in the bed. He was getting ready to leave when the woman grabbed his hand. Turning slightly he smirked. "Hmmm. I might do that." Sitting on the edge of the bed he waited only a few moments before he realized it might take her a bit longer than it used to. So the captain laid down on his side and wrapped one arm around her waist. After a long day he hadn't noticed how tired he was till he suddenly it all faded into a dreamscape and he hadn't even realized that he was asleep till the door opened.

Turning on the bed he felt the rung begin to dig into his back. Grumbling a bit he moved his arm from her waist and rubbed his eyes. It was the doctor coming in to check on her. "Oh...Give a second to move." Whispering to Kato he then moved from his place and stood off to the side.
 
Kato had gone to bed early hoping he could just fall asleep and forget that Killian and Star were having alone time together. Unfortunately, his mind wouldn't let him. He tossed and turned most of the night. Around 3 am he couldn't stand it anymore and got up to check on her. When one became a doctor, they were told never become emotionally attached to the patient. Most of the time, that was easy. He didn't connect with people very easily anyway. But Star...there was just something special about her. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but grow a certain fondness for her after watching over her for several weeks, sitting by her bed for hours just reading aloud or playing music. And even after she'd woken up, he was the one to care for her. He took her to the bathroom, bathed her, clothed her, fed her. The last several days he'd given every moment he had to help her relearn to walk, read, problem solve and anything else she needed. Why then should Killian, stepping in only to hang out with her from time to time, be the one to attract her affection?

He pushed open door only to have Killian suddenly in the way. His eyes widened. He'd been...sleeping next to her!? Had they!? But she barely remembered him! His cheeks turn bright red and he enters as the Captain stands casually to the side. His sensitive olfactory's smelled in the distinguishable scent of alcohol. No. He hurried to Star's side, checking her pulse and smelling her breath. She definitely had been drinking. Kato grabs Killian's arm tightly and drags him out of the room, closing the door firmly behind them. "YOU LET HER DRINK!?" He demands. It was the most emotion he'd ever shown. "How much!?"
 
Killian watched the doctor and yawned a few times. He should probably get to his own room. Falling asleep in here wasn't his original intention. A tired frown came to his face when the doctor leaned over her and started to check vitals. Yawning again, Killian closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. Suddenly he felt a pair of hands wrap around his arm and he half stumbled along.

The loud question made Killian feel a little more alert. "Yes!" Yelling right back at the doctor he held his gaze for a long moment.

"Drinking can delay her progress, it can give her seizures. What were you thinking?"

Glowering at Kato the captain snapped back. "You're a damn lazy doctor then. Why the hell wouldn't you tell me something like that? You know I spend time with her when I can." Anger was building up and Killian stepped in closer to the doctor and peered into his face. "Why the hell wouldn't you?"
 
"Because you've never shown any interest in her recovery before!" He retorts just as angrily. "The only thing you cared about was how quickly she'd be up and about. I have been the one to feed her, care for her, help her with her therapy and make sense of her memories." Everything that had been boiling up in him all night comes spilling out. "I spend hours with her at a time helping to make sure she stays healthy and keeps from getting depressed. You just come along from time to time with a sweet word or gesture then leave her for hours again. Every time I brought up the honest truth about her condition, about what it would take or about what needed to be done... you blew me off or got angry."
 
Killian pushed the doctor against the wall. "You're the doctor it's your job to make sure she recovers. I'm the captain and it's my job to make sure we have a ship to fly, food, supplies, and work. I don't have the luxury of all your fancy learning or time to spend mooning over her. What time does your day start? Do you risk your life when we go places? Only so much risk as what is posed to you inside of the ship. Right now I'm the captain, and navigator as well as extra help when Timo can't do it." Grabbing the doctor by the arms he moved the man away from the wall and started walking him back to his room in the med bay. "Maybe you never thought of why I wouldn't want to listen to you. You're the fucking dumb ass that told me to leave her in a hospital at the planet. Do you know what that would have meant?" Answering his own question Killian continued. "Of course you don't! The Alliance would have picked her up if they got word. Do you happen to know what they do to smugglers?" Pushing the doctor one last time he pointed a finger at his face. "Remember you do your job and I do mine. Because my job doesn't involve spending every moment with the injured doesn't mean I care any less."
 
Kato didn't respond as Killian stormed away. How could Star care about a man like that? She deserved better.
***
Star woke up with the worst headache she'd had since waking from her coma. She sat up and immediately regretted it. Her head spun and pounded like a bowling ball. She just managed to grab a waste bucket before retching into it. Nope...she wasn't getting up today. She lay back down, pale as a ghost. She pressed the button on her wrist. Kato was at her side in seemingly seconds, like he'd been waiting at her door. "Hey, how you feeling?"
"Sick...hangover...I think." She murmurs.
Kato wrinkled his nose at the smell of vomit in the trash. He clenched his fist in anger at Killian. She didn't need this sort of setback? What if she was addicted now? Withdrawals in her condition would be dangerous. "You stay right there in bed. Do not get up unless you need to use the restroom, and even then call for someone. We can't have you falling and hitting your head." Kato orders.
Star just nods, closing her eyes as Kato leaves to get some things. Kato passes Killian in the hallway, not bothering to hide his looks of anger and disgust for the man as he hurries off to get an I.V and monitor.
Star hears someone enter and groans. "Don't walk so loud."
 
Killian was busy checking the navigations and reviewing charts again. It was the usual for his morning. The buzzer went off and he got up from his chair and started down the hallway. As he was headed toward her room the doctor was leaving it. Of course the weasel would be sitting around waiting for something to go wrong. Instead of returning the glared Killian pretended not to notice.

Stepping into the room he cringed slightly when she groaned at him. "Sorry." Killian whispered the words since he was typically aware of the fact that hangovers left a person with headaches, and other miseries. "Kato told me after we had drinks you're not supposed to. I didn't know that." Reaching down he took the bucket. "I'll go dump this and come back in a minute." The doctor was an idiot. Left her with a stinking bucket of puke and runs around glaring as if it was all Killian's fault. After he dumped the bucket out Killian rinsed it and then walked as quietly as he could back over to her bed.

For the sake of motion he didn't sit on it or anything. Instead the captain kneeled next to the bed and kissed her gently on the forehead. "You need anything before I go back to work?" About that time the doctor was coming back in and Killian ignored him still.
 
Star smiled lightly as kiss brushed her forehead. She shook her head slightly at his question and then peeked an eye open at him. "Aside from the hangover, why can't I drink?"
"Because it impairs your brain's ability to heal and puts you at an increased risk for seizures and other things." Kato explains quietly and seriously. He took Killian's spot and put the I.v. of fluids and medicine in her arm as well as attaching her to a monitor that he could watch from his data pad.
"What's that for?"
"Just to keep an eye on your vitals." He replied. He was probably being overly cautious, but they didn't need to know that and he felt more comfortable if he could see that she was doing alright even when he wasn't in the room.
"Is that really necessary?" She groans, uncomfortable as it was.
"Yes." Kato left little room for argument and Star relents to being uncomfortable the rest of the day.
 
Killian left the room after the doctor took over. It was slightly irritating that the doctor had only wanted to tell him bad news and never seemed to want to tell him anything helpful. As he walked past the kitchen saw Andy peer out the door at him. There was still a considerable sized bruise on her cheek from where he hit her the other day. The bite was still scabbed over though it was getting to the point of itching most of the time.

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"Captain I have a job for you." The big smiling head came onto the screen in the control room. As much as Killian liked the thought of being on the winning side of the war he was annoyed with the fact that he was very much so at the beck and call of the rebellion. "There are certain items we need transported from Juneau to the planet on the border of the Alliance called Vuriele. What are your coordinates now?"

Killian sighed. "Coordinates are 3.4 starwave G by 8.91 starwave H. What are the coordinates to the pick up and drop off?" Writing them down he nodded to the man. "Yes general I'll change course immediately." Checking his navigational system and updates he shook his head. There was a reason that they were using him instead of a transport ship. The drop off was crawling with patrols. Typing in the new coordinates he turned grabbed the controls and manually turned the ship a little faster than it would normally turn by itself.

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The captain glanced at Andy. "I'll get you something to wear when I go out. Nobody's leaving the ship today. Tell me what you want and the size." Didn't seem that Andy liked telling him the size for her clothes. It included a few things that he hadn't thought about and now he wasn't sure that he had wanted to know. Size small underwear, small shirt, long pants, her bra size was something that made no sense. Why they included letters was a mystery. "Um alright." Shoving the list into his pocket he started for the small door on the side. "I shouldn't be gone very long. Going to pick up only the minimum number of things after I get our merchandise loaded."

Killian started to walk the docks looking for the man with the red shirt. When he spotted him he stopped at the fourth post. At least the guy was attentive and walked over so they could get the deal done as fast as possible. "I'm at the dock. When you ready to load?"

Looking him over the man grinned. "Now. They said you were fast. Lets hope you're fast enough to get this to Vuriele before it falls and one more thing. Be careful around here."

"Do what I can." Killian started walking back toward the ship. Tapping on his headset 3 times he signaled to Mike to get the doors opened for loading. Killian glanced at the large truck behind himself. They would be loading for a few hours at this rate. When they finished and he pushed the last box into the bay he wiped his hands off on his pants. Glancing up at the balcony overhead he grinned at Star. This was work and while it didn't pay this time he could sell a few more things again and get a tad bit more operating money.

Now that they were almost ready to leave he walked up the stairs. "So anything you want before I come back?" Cautiously he rested his hands on her waist. Giving her a quick wink he started out. "Expect me back in an hour."

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Mike began pacing. It was two hours now. "Captain can you hear me?" Tapping on his headset he looked to the others. Seemed they could hear him but nobody was getting a hold of Killian. "Sir, what are our instructions?"

A group of men had started to follow Killian shortly after he left the ship. Even after several alley ways he couldn't shake them. Instead the numbers seemed to increase. Finally he resorted to running. Part way into the town he felt a sharp sting run across his ribs. Grabbing his shirt he looked at the hole and noticed a very light skim. Wasn't quite enough to break the skin but, it would likely bruise. There was a war right in the middle of the city. Smugglers didn't fight like this with each other. There was something wrong. Circling back he hoped to avoid the group after him and instead came face to face.

"Looks like we got Captain Killian. First smuggler to sign on with the rebellion." A sneer passed over their faces. "Some of us joined the alliance and then there's the rest that refuse to take sides. We don't got room for your kind around here." Lunging forward with a knife he narrowly missed and the next one hit the captain in the shoulder with brass knuckles. The warning to be careful was finally making sense. Killian woke up in the street bruised, bloody, and buried under two other bodies. Pushing one of them aside his eyes widened. Already there were a few smugglers making their way around shooting survivors. He didn't know which of the 3 sides they fell on and neither did he want to know. That was obviously what happened over the last several weeks since he'd been traveling.

Stumbling into the alley he heard one of the men start chasing after him. Killian ducked into a building. He couldn't hear anything in his headset but, maybe it still transmitted. "I need an extraction. I'll meet you at the docks. 6th hole." They would know what that meant. It was still fairly close and maybe it would get him far enough away from trouble. Waiting for a few more minutes he then started to limp out of the alley.

Mike nodded furiously when he finally got a response. "Alright 6th hole. I'll go and one other person." Knowing that an extraction meant something went wrong the engineer pointed to Kato. "How about you?"
 
Star had begun improving rapidly. Her diligent efforts with the physical therapy had begun to pay off. She was down to one nap a day and could walk around the entirety of the ship (with the help of a cane) before needing to take a break. Best of all her appetite had returned and she was only few pounds shy of a healthy weight. At the rate she was going she'd be nearly fully well by the end of the year, which was a mere three months away. At least...physically.

There were still several gaps in her memory and skill sets. Now that she was able to stand for longer periods of time she'd begun trying to cook again. Only, everything she used to do by memory and instinct she was having to relearn. The simplest recipes took nearly an hour as she had to relearn all the different measuring items and tools and ingredients. Reading and grammar was also difficult. Her brain seemed to have reset to the 2nd grade level in that area too. But she knew with time and persistence, she'd regain that skill as well.

She was taking her daily walk around the ship when she came up to the balcony, overlooking the cargo hold. She watched the men for several minutes as they loaded the cargo for a run. The thought of them doing a mission still made her nervous and filled her with unusual sense of panic. She knew her head that it had been a fellow crew member what had put her in this condition...but she also knew things like this were dangerous. And the thought having to go through all this again put a serious sense of dread in her heart. Killian looked up at her with a grin and waved. She forced a smile for his sake and waved back. This was his life....he'd delayed it long enough for her sake and nearly gone broke. The least she could do was be supportive, even if that meant not arguing about Timo.

Star watched him break off from the loading bay crew and trot up the steps to her. She smiled up at him as he gently put a hand around her waist, likely not wanting his massive teddy bear to disrupt the delicate balance she had. "So anything you want before I come back?"
"Hot chocolate. Other than that, surprise me." She smirks as he gives her a playful wink. "Expect me back in an hour."
"Be careful."
***
Apparently he hadn't listened to her, because now he was in trouble. Star was sitting in a chair next to Mike, listening on the headset for any sound of Killian's voice. They'd been trying to hail him for over an hour and she'd begun to panic. Finally, he spoke. Mike nodded furiously when he finally got a response. "Alright 6th hole. I'll go and one other person." Knowing that an extraction meant something went wrong the engineer pointed to Kato. "How about you?"

Kato looked up at him with a start. "What? Me? I'm...I'm not really a..."
Mike didn't let him finish and shoved a weapon in his hands. There was no one else aside from Andy and neither of them imagined she'd be much help to Mike. Besides it was better to have at least one engineer on board...just in case. Kato takes a breath, calming himself. He glanced over at Star who had heartwrenching look of worry on her face. Only it wasn't for him...it was for Killian. For her sake, he had to bring him back safely. He nods at Mike. "Let's save our Captain."

Star knew she should probably stay quiet and let Killian concentrate on whatever situation he was in but she couldn't help herself. "Killian, damn you. You scared the hell out of me not answering like that. You alright?"
 
Killian didn't think he was gushing blood anywhere but, he hurt everywhere. It was lucky the guys didn't have time to actually finish him off. The fight had been pretty fierce and he knew he killed at least one of 8 that jumped him. Busted the man's neck with a hit to the jaw. The hit had caught him at an angle. Still 8 men were enough he hadn't expected to win. Holding onto his left side he ran hunched over till he reached the 8th post. By the time he was there Killian was coughing and holding onto the post just to keep from toppling.

The sound in the headset wasn't good. Mike could hear some of the coughing when the captain bumped the transmit button. "You ok?" Still there wasn't any kind of response. He was trying not to get Star concerned but the engineer knew it wasn't good either. "Where you at?" There was still no response so he kept on pushing forward.

Eventually they came to the 6th post and he couldn't see the captain. "We'll wait here for a few minutes and then I'll start working my way down the line." Mike glanced at the doctor. "If its not good you ready to move the med bay to the navigation room?" So far the captain was the only navigator and Mike wasn't sure he could do the navigating but, he knew that Andy could take over the engineer work if she had to. Over the last few weeks the older man had caught onto the rivalry between the men and he wasn't sure who Star would ultimately choose. Some women couldn't handle the stress of the work that they did and the doctor was a better choice if it was coming to that point. The older man finally spotted a hunched over figure. "You just cover me. I'm gonna go find out if that's him."

Half flopping onto Mike the captain winced. "We need to get out of here. Smugglers been going into wars and one side just won. They'll be taking the market here and we need to get out till I know which side it was."

Mike turned the headset on. "Hey Star we got him. Headset was damaged. On our way back and tell Andy to get the engines fired up. Captain says you're head of crew for right now." By the time they reached Kato, Killian was breathing hard and he started to cough again. The engineer nodded to the doctor. Whatever the man needed it was a good time for him to dart ahead and get it ready. "Alright I'll send Kato ahead to get some stuff set up and the two of us are gonna take a few moments longer."

The captain barely made it up the ramp of the ship. Mike was nearly dragging him to the navigation room. "Aaah." Killian groaned as he sat down in the navigation seat. Taking Mike's headset he put it on. "Alright Andy I'm sending Mike down. We'll need full power to get out before they lock the magnetic shields. Tell me when we're ready." Shifting in the seat he moved to hold his side again. "Ok on 3 we'll be moving. Everyone lock down and hold on. 1...2...3." Hitting the accelerator Killian took the ship off to a lopsided start. It was a little rough for take off. Glancing back at the doctor he winced. The man looked like he had a few more items than what Killian wanted to experiment with.

After he had the ship in the air he typed in the next set of coordinates. Turning toward Kato he let out a long breath. "I've only got a few hours till I need to be back in here. Lets do what we have to now."

Killian stayed in the medical bay for an extra hour to nap before going back to the navigational unit. When he woke up Star was standing over him. "Oh...hey. I uh...Forgot the chocolate but, this was a surprise right?" Pointing to his bruised face he attempted a smirk. "We'll have to take a little extra precaution next time. Seems the smugglers have split over this and we're killing each other. I'll be the cove is a disaster. Gonna have to start trading on civilian ports." That was risky too, but not half so bad as what he just saw. "I was lucky." With a wimpy groan he sat up. "You want to come see how to navigate in case I fall asleep in there?"
 
Star nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard Mike confirm that they had Killian. She wanted so desperately to grab him and hold him when Mike dragged him aboard, but things were too urgent. Andy already had the engines running. There was no time for greetings. Kato rushed by her a few moments later with medical supplies for the Captain. "Is he ok?" She asks worriedly.
Kato pauses only long enough to tell her that he'd take care of Killian and make sure he would be. Once again Star is left to stand alone, helplessly waiting.
***
Kato puts a hand on Star's shoulder as she sat by Killian's side in the medbay. "He's going to be fine. The injuries could've been alot worse."
"That's not reassuring." She glances up at him briefly before looking back down at Killian. Her hand held onto his. She vaguely remember how not to long ago the positions had been reversed and she was waking for the first time, his concerned face staring down at her.
"He'll be back to normal within a week." Kato assures her patting her shoulder and retreating.

Killian stirred and she stood, holding onto the bed for balance. "Hey..." She smiles down at him relief.
"Oh...hey. I uh...Forgot the chocolate but, this was a surprise right?"
Star shakes her head at his weird sense of humor. "A surprise yes...but I wanted a happy one. If you weren't already covered in bruises I'd punch you for scaring me like that."
She put a hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to lay back down as he sat up. "You need to rest. You got beat up pretty badly." She strokes a soft thumb over one of the bruises under his eye, her face twisted in concern.
"The navigating can wait a couple more hours."
 
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