I Saw Your Ad On The Holo

[Amz]

A slender hand reached up and brushed back a stray strand of hair hanging in front of her face, then immediately waved that same hand in front of her crinkled up nose, her sense of smell assaulted by the repugnant odor of cigara smoke and fermented liquors she’d caught wafting through the air the moment her foot crossed over the threshold of the cantina.

Inside, it was about as predictable as one could imagine. Every race you could think of seemed to be represented in this place, but she knew that most of them were only there, not to extend a hand of friendship, but to either lose themselves at the bottom of a bottle, or find some kind of quick way to make a credit.

Teyla had never been a fan of this sort of scene, and in her not-so-distant-past she would have only shown up in a cantina if it were to try to catch someone in the process of illegally smuggling drugs, or to arrest inebriated brawlers. Why criminals chose to meet their contacts in such a predictable place, was beyond her, but it had happened often enough that it became a running joke with her other colleagues.

But that was all before, this was now. The present. Focus!

Clutching her comm board in her hands, Teyla looked down again at the ad - weighing in her mind if this was what she really wanted to do. It wasn’t because she was scared, in fact, she was almost certain by now that her nerves were made up of the purest steel.

No, this was a question of morality. She’d lived her entire life by the letter of the law, and had flourished under the rigidity and order of a structured system. Like the air in her lungs, she’d needed it to thrive. What had brought her to this place now? Well...Teyla didn’t really like talking about. Suffice to say, that she’d hit rock bottom and credits were scarce…she needed this. Something to get her by.

Inhaling a breath, she tucked the comm board back away and compelled herself to move further inside.

She walked passed several card tables and booths until her gut lead her to the right one, watching as a green-scaled barabel stormed from the same direction she was headed. Yelling curses and threats, shoving anyone in his path aside.”KARK YOU RIGGS! FRAKKIN KARK YOU! YOU’RE GOING TO REGRET THIS!!!”

Teyla had no clue what got the alien so rattled, but made sure to move out the way, no reason she needed to become collateral damage. Her brow raised at his retreating backside.

That was...dramatic.

She looked back towards this man, whom she could now safely assume was [member="Damon Riggs"], and cautiously slipped into the booth on the opposite side of him. Lips quirked up in a small smile.

“So...does this mean the position is still open?”

 

[Damon Riggs]

Life had seen all kinds of crazy turns. The navy captain had gone from commanding his battleship in one moment to being one of a handful of survivors in the next. A year had been spent putting his life back together before rumors surfaced of the woman he had come to love being alive. Riggs had found her, rebuilt his life with her, only to realize while he was more than ready to leave the military behind, she was not. He'd been flying solo for a while only to run into her again and learn she was engaged. Russo had moved on and Riggs was stuck in the place he had been for years.

He thought he'd managed to get rid of the bottle from his life. That changed after running into Russo again. Riggs wasn't searching for the bottom of it like he once had, but a day didn't go by without a drink of whiskey or vodka, or whatever the cantina had on reserve. Job offers came and went, and what Riggs soon realized was he needed extra hands. The wars throughout the galaxy had made business lucrative again, but the added danger meant more hands were needed to pull the jobs.

Riggs had an ad out for a co-pilot, extra hands, whatever he needed someone to do, type job. Three or four applicants had shown up to the back booth of the trashy cantina he was hiding out in. Business was rarely conducted planet side anymore as he liked to keep moving from space station to space station. Drifter's was where he was now. Most of the applicants were not able to fly, and that was a problem. The last applicant had basically suggested he wanted the job because women like a dashing scoundrel. Damon's reply was something along the lines of not needing a Casanova on board, and that seemed to set the alien off.

A brunette slid into the booth across from him.

“So...does this mean the position is still open?”

Riggs lips turned up into a smile as he took her in. She was absolutely gorgeous, and if looks was the number one factor for the job, she by far had the job locked up. Unfortunately Riggs needed a partner and not bed companion, though the later would be nice too.

[color=b8860b]"Why yes... it does,"[/COLOR] Riggs said as he waved the server droid over. [color=b8860b]"Whatever the lady wants, and put it on my tab."[/COLOR]

Riggs finished off the whiskey he had in his glass and looked the woman in the eyes as he set his glass down on the table.

[color=b8860b]"You have me at a disadvantage. You have my name, but I don't have yours. Why don't you tell me what you can bring to the table while you're at it. No offense, but you're like applicant 4 or 5 today."[/COLOR]

[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

She crossed her legs at her ankles and tried to relax back into the booth as he called over the droid. Teyla had already resolved that she wasn’t going drink anything unless it was water, but then thought against it. What the hell? Normally she didn’t drink during the day, but if she wanted to seem like she belonged in this sort of place and not like the prude everyone actually knew her to be, then she had to make exceptions. Besides, Teyla had the feeling that if he even had an inkling that she once worked for law enforcement, that she would be kissing her paycheck bye-bye before getting the chance to ever see it.

“I’ll have a malt brew, thank you.” It wasn’t an expensive drink, nor high in alcoholic content, so she would still have all her wits about her when she was ready to leave.

“Of course, ma’am.” the droid responded, rolling off to take its next order.

A small part of her wanted to order something more nostalgic like blossom wine to bring forth memories of home and comfort, before everything in her world had crashed in on her. But she reminded herself that this wasn’t the time or place to enjoy something like blossom wine. She doubted that they even served it here.

When he asked for her name and essentially her credentials, Teyla nodded.

“I understand, and I can appreciate your straightforwardness. I will only take up the time which is needed,” Probably more formal than what was needed. She cleared her throat. “I’m Teyla Ee’everwest, a tongue twister of a last name, I know. Don’t worry about saying it wrong, everyone does. As for what I can bring? I’m a decent pilot, I can get you where you need to go, and I can disarm a man faster than he can blink. Did I mention that I’m also quite handy with a blaster?”

 

[Damon Riggs]

A malt brew... it was a safe drink. Riggs noticed, but didn't say anything. It was clear she was not used to this type of environment or atmosphere. When Riggs got out of the military he had a hard time too. He ordered safe drinks during job interviews only to find that those hiring realized he wasn't one of them. Teyla was no scoundrel. She was no criminal.

The rest of her story confirmed what Riggs was thinking. She could pilot, she was good with a blaster, but the part that caught him was how she could disarm a man faster than they could blink. That spoke to training, which meant she was not just some criminal or would be smuggler. Teyla had combat experience, and when it came to protecting Riggs guessed bodyguard or security detail.

"So which was it, bodyguard or security detail?"

Riggs poured more whiskey into his glass from the bottle that had been left on the table. He didn't care that she was either. Riggs was former navy captain. He'd run a tight ship and still ran a tight ship. The fact she was used to some kind of structure was a plus in his book. One of the reasons most of the applicants failed to get the work was because they wanted some kind of easy going loose environment on the ship. Riggs wasn't going to allow for that.

"I'm ex-navy myself. This wasn't my first job, but it is my favorite job."

Was she going to tell the truth? That was going to determine whether or not he was going to let the interview go further.

[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

"That obvious, hm? I've never been good with being opaque," Teyla admitted, issuing a thank you and briefly looking up just as her drink was delivered.

Hearing him mention that he was ex-navy did manage to put some of Teyla's worries at easy about revealing her connections, her wary expression becoming more unreserved. Still, she was only going to give him a brief sum of the whole story, and if she was able to manage landing the job, then there would be plenty of time for that to change.

She shrugged her shoulders, trying to seem nonchalant and casually leaned in, hoping it would help keep her voice from traveling far. "I used to live on Coruscant, back before the Sith invaded. Worked on and off for the security force for a few years. Law enforcement." Teyla hoped that her explanation would be enough to satisfy his question and took her tankard full of malt brew by the handle, waiting for it to quit sloshing around before taking it to her lips for a sip.

Ugh. That was quite possibly the mostly tasteless drink she'd ever had...she set it off to the side.

"Truth be told, this is the last place I ever imagined myself being."

[member="Damon Riggs"]

 

[Damon Riggs]

She lived on Coruscant before the Sith invasion? It was a large planet, so Riggs was not surprised that this had been the first time they had met. Having grown up on the city planet he still met people that he had never met there before.

Riggs nodded when she asked if her background was obvious. To him it was because of how she presented what she could offer. At least she was owning.

He waved the service droid back and asked for another glass. Riggs had noticed the look of disgust she had when it came to the malt brew she had ordered. The first lesson in being a smuggler was to stay away from safe drinks. When the droid came back with the glass, Riggs poured some of the amber whiskey into it. He slid the glass over to her, and with a nod he indicated she needed to try it.

"I was born and raised on Coruscant. My dad was part of the CSF. He was likely retired before your time, but that is a pretty damn good connection."

Riggs knocked back the whiskey in his glass with ease. He was done for the night because the man was about to make a hire, and once he did it was off to work. RIggs didn't work when he was drunk anymore. Maybe after he had lost his crew he would not be able to function unless he knew where the bottom of a bottle was. Now, he had the power to walk away.

"Thirty percent of each job, room and board. I'm fueling the ship and reparing it out the 70 I keep. I don't have any other partner that's cutting in on that take, and if you agree to the terms I already have a job lined up. All you have to do is say yes. If it works, and we work well togehter, we can talk about making you a full partner with a sixty forty split."

[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

The revelation that Damon had been born and raised on Coruscant, and that his father was CSF, caused Teyla to pause. After what happened to her during the Sith invasion, she was able to feel whether or not someone was lying to her. Something Teyla was paying attention to now, if his words corresponded. She was happy to find that she could sense no deception. This made her face lighten with a smile, Damon had captured her full attention now. "I don't remember meeting an Officer Riggs, but Coruscant is such a big place, who knows? If he was active during the Thistle Bark Murders, then we may have crossed paths."

When he slid the glass over to her, it was obvious that she hesitated, but one glance at the malt glass next to it and Teyla grabbed the whiskey without further hesitation, kicking it back.

Just because she was a prude, didn't mean that she didn't know how to drink.

Teyla listened to what he had to say about the job position, and what all that offer presented. Teeth sunk into her lower lip in contemplation, not wanting to seem like she was too eager. Even though...she was.

Teyla had no where to go, this provided credits with room and board! And if she performed well? Then there was a potential to earn more.

"It sounds like a reasonable deal," she commented, before adding, "Yes. Where are we headed?"

 

[Damon Riggs]

”I think he was sitting behind a desk by the time of those murders. He also wasn’t active in the precinct which got the joy of investigating them.”

In a way they were still testing each other at that point, but Riggs was confident enough in her honesty that she proved trustworthy enough. That was the one thing about the job which was essential. Damon didn’t want someone he couldn’t trust on his ship. The jobs he was looking at were getting more and more dangerous. A trustworthy crew, and for now, a trustworthy partner, was more important than anything else. The fact she could fly a ship, probably better than he could, was a major bonus as well.

He grinned when she knocked back the whisky like it was water. ”She does know how to drink,” Riggs exclaimed with a soft chuckle and a wink. ”Safe drinks don’t cut it in this world, sweetheart, you’re gonna have to learn that to survive. Forget the don’t drink on duty mentality unless we’re actually in the middle of a job.”

Riggs tossed a few credit chits on the table to cover the tab and then stood up.

”There is a shipment of blasters being loaded onto my ship as we speak. If you haven’t noticed the First Order has been expanding ravenously fast. We are going to deliver the weapons to a resistance cell on the edge of their space and give these rebels a fighting chance.”

Riggs offered his hand to help the woman out of her seat. He didn’t have to, and Riggs was obviously trying to look good for her. He was about to have a pretty woman on his ship working with him again. He had to make a good first impression.

”You ready to see the ship?”

[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

Joy? Teyla lingered silently on that word for a moment, finding it curious. Having been one of the lead investigators on that case, joy was not something she would have used to describe what it was like. Dangerous, nerve-wracking, headache inducing. That psycho had come very close to killing her, and Baros, more than once. And to her knowledge, whoever had been responsible was still at large, though the trail had gone cold. Teyla let the subject drop.

She absorbed what he said next, and if the sweetheart moniker perturbed her, she didn’t let it show, only giving a nod of her chin about the safe drinking to show she understood. Despite what he might think, that wasn’t going to be a problem on Teyla’s end. The girl knew how to play a role from back when she’d been a Handmaiden on Naboo, but she didn’t bother to mention this to Damon. It wouldn’t make sense without more context, and she still wasn’t comfortable to share her more detailed bits of background with someone she had met minutes ago. But if he wanted her to blend in more seamlessly when they were in public by sticking to the hard drinks, then she would do just that. Alone? Well, she was still going to stick to water or caf during the day.

Teyla didn’t know Riggs very well, but it surprised her that she’d found a smuggler who seemed to care about the underdog. Whatever his reasoning, and whatever mixed feelings she was still having about coming into this new life of smuggling, didn’t matter in that moment. Perhaps if there had been a ‘Riggs’ during the invasion, then things might have turned out differently.

Teyla could almost feel her skin crawl with how badly she wanted to jump into this. “That sounds like something I can definitely get behind.”

She didn’t even hesitate to take his hand for help standing, knowing better by now, to not spurn a man showing a considerate gesture.

“Ready as I’ll ever be. Show me what I'll be flying.”

[member="Damon Riggs"]

 

[Damon Riggs]

Riggs was proud of his ship. When Teyla took his hand he smiled and wasted no time in escorting her out of the cantina. Naturally he let go of her hand when it was appropriate to do so. He was hiring a pilot, and a potential business partner, not someone to keep his bed warm. Though as his eyes wandered over her figure he wouldn't complain at all if she decided to bunk with him.

The bay his ship was docked inside was nothing but secure. He rented the best when he could afford, and always opted for the security footage to be fed right to his datapad. Pulling the device out of his pocket, Damon had the pocket size, he tapped in the security code. The bay doors gave way to reveal his YT-1300 which had the cockpit in the center where it belonged.

"This is the Inquisitor's Revenge. She is kept up nice, engines run well, and she's pretty spacious. Not a lot for massive weapons, but she can outrun almost anything out there."

Riggs lowered the ramp and led Teyla on board. The first stop was the cockpit of course, then he led her on a tour of the rest of the ship. He showed her the fresher, the galley, the lounge, the engine room, medbay, and then the first officer's quarters. Riggs didn't have a first officer, so Teyla might as well take them.

"This is her. I've been alone for a while so not promissing the food will be good or that I'll remember to cook for ya. Caf is always on, and once you are settled we can take off. I'll check the inventory in the meantime and make sure it is all here."

[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

The ship was an older model, but you wouldn't know from the way it was maintained. She kept a moderate pace behind Damon as he escorted her around. Living on board a ship was going to take some getting used to, but she could see herself getting comfortable, especially on that bed in the first officers quarters. How long had it been since she'd been in a proper bed? She knew it had been too long when she couldn't recall a time.

When he lead her to the cockpit, Teyla resisted the urge to slip into the seat and take the yolk in her hands then and there. Even though he gave high praises for his ship, she wouldn't really know how it flew until she got behind the controls and took it for a spin. From what she could see though, it seemed promising.

They finished the tour back where they had started, and Teyla casually adjusted the strap of her bag as he explained what the arrangements would be like. "That all sounds good, as long as there is caf. And if you don't cook for me, don't worry. I have two hands, pretty sure I can manage on my own." She didn't have much in the way of belongings, the duffel on her arm was pretty much it. "I'll probably do some pre-flight checks when I'm done settling, if that's alright? I'd like to get up close and personal with her before we take off."

[member="Damon Riggs"]

 

[Damon Riggs]

Riggs nodded when they were finished. Teyla agreed to work on the pre-flight after getting settled. It seemed they were both eager to get the job done. He could respect that in a potential partner. Of course they both new this was an audition of sorts, and even if Teyla got the gig full time there would be a period of getting used to each other. Riggs may not be in a line of work which was above board as far as the legality of it, but he was still a professional at what he did. The military in him demanded his crew operate like a well oiled machine, even if it was just him and her for the moment.

The cargo was laid just outside the loading ramp. Riggs rarely let anyone put anything on his ship unless he was there to supervise, or go through the manifest before they took off. Fortunately he had worked this gig long enough that he trusted the people he was working for. The resistance cell wasn't after anything on his ship, just what he could deliver to them. The network they had was pretty extensive as far as contacts went. Riggs would always have the excuse of never knowing how illegal weapons got on his ship if he was ever asked.

It seemed all in order as the last of the crates was loaded onto the ship. Riggs was about to head up the ramp when a blaster bolt rang past his ear, missing him by less than an inch.

"What the..."

Riggs snapped around and noticed the angry green alien he had turned down just before Teyla. It seemed he had some friends with him all bent on revenge. The captain didn't have time for this, and they needed to leave. Riggs fired back as he raised the ramp and shouted toward the cockpit.

"Teyla, big guns now. And get us the hell out of here!"

[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

Teyla could hear the sound of blaster fire from outside the cockpit, heard the ship groan when a few blasts scorched across it. Nothing that would do any permanent damage, she hoped.

Coming in from behind was Damon shouting about take off, and guns.

Whelp! She'd hoped to start this off slow, but with how things were shaping up, it seemed that Teyla was just going to have to dive head first instead. Either way, there was a rush of excitement swelling through Teyla when she engaged the guns, bolts of energy raining down from the belly of the Inquisitor, scattering the group of thugs away from the ramp while it raised.

By now, Teyla hoped that Damon was safely on board, sending power to the sublight engines.

"Things are going to get bumpy! So strap in, or hold on!"

[member="Damon Riggs"]

 

[Damon Riggs]

Bumpy, Riggs was used to bumpy. He didn’t need to get prepared for it. An accelerated take off was anagaboe with a good grip on something, and his ship had plenty of opportune things to grab onto. The ramp came up as Teyla blaster the attackers from the underside of the ship. The blaster canon on the underside of the ship was likely his favorite weapon on the ship. It was the one everyone seemed to forget about until it popped out and started firing. Teyla earned some points for being familiar with what Corellian engineering had to offer.

”Just hope off until I get up there.”

Riggs ran to the cockpit and strapped himself into the co-pilot seat. He may the captain, but he knew his best place was in the second chair when it came to escapes. The past couple of years without Russo had made him a better pilot, but he was never eager to take the chair when a better pilot was there. Besides, Riggs considered this part of the interview. Sure they had been negotiating, but the job was a one time offer. If she was good, it made the first officer’s gig that much more hers.

He diverted the power to the sub-light engines and brought the thrusters to full take off power. Teyla was working on rushing through pre-flight, the important parts, and Riggs took over firing at their attackers. It wasn’t long before Riggs could feel himself pushing into the back of the seat as Teyla got them off the space station and put some distance between them and it.

”Well that was close. Let’s deliver the guns and find somewhere else to crash. Coordinates are saved in the nav-computer.”

Riggs unbuckled his restraints.

”I need some caf...

[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

It was a blur, really. The take off.

She'd barely paid Riggs any mind when he'd shown up and taken the copilots seat, along with the guns, just before giving her the power she needed to lift them off the platform when all other tasks were complete. Lucky for them both, Teyla had already been through half of the pre-flight checklist before the firefight broke out, so it didn't take long for them to get moving. Of course, the woman was dimly aware that there was something else guiding her as the tension and pressures grew, sharpening her concentration and helping her to be more quick on her feet than normal.

By this point, they were still very much learning about each other in the moments before hitting atmosphere, and once there was room to breath, the honey-haired brunette had to admit she appreciated having a reliable copilot at her side. There wasn't any sense of unconditional trust, forged through years of having each others backs. This was still the premature phases of a potential partnership, and only time could tell how they'd work together.

Assuming she would have time, were he to be impressed by her abilities before dropping off the cargo.

"We pulled it off though, not bad for our first time flying together." Teyla grinned, adding. "I'll go ahead and get the course locked in." and watched the smugglers retreating backside - he wasn't the only one stealing secret glances of admiration for the physical physique - before turning back to the task at hand.

Seemed Mindabaal was their destination, when all was said and done. A planet just outside First Order space, and it was going to take them a couple hours to reach it. Traffic anywhere in, or around, the inner rim sectors always saw a lot of congestion, so she wasn't surprised to learn that the lanes were flooded. Until they got closer to the final approach though, Teyla could switch on the autopilot and take a breather.

Restraints unlatched, she went to meet up with Damon for some of that caf. She could go for a glass, maybe even two or three.

-------

[member="Damon Riggs"]

 

[Damon Riggs]

Riggs ignored the fact Teyla has thought they pulled it off. Rookie. Nothing was ever truly pulled off intil the job was done and the credits were in hand. Usually Damon didnt even count it done until he was flying off the planet in some undisclosed location laughing all the way to the bank. Smuggling was predicatble, and most of the time Riggs transported legal cargo. It was missions like the one he was running now that always flew under all the other legal things he did. There was no telling that Teyla had to stay quiet about it, because her background made him trust her in that sense. She was rookie in every other way, and would make the mistakes Riggs did if he didn't help her.

Usually Riggs drank his caf with two creams and two sugars. Rather than keep a carton of creamer that always went bad before he could use it all, he kept the individual cups. He'd absently mindedly left out an extra mug with four creamers not even thinking the woman in the cockpit wasn't Russo. Some habits died hard. By the time Teyla came back, Riggs was sitting in the booth, leaning over with his elbows on the table, and his hands warpped around the mug of hot caf. He was staring into the brown liquid.

"We haven't pulled it off yet you know," Riggs said as he watched Teyla go to the counter to get her caf. "This isn't over until it is actually over. Those guns are still on my ship."

Riggs sipped his caf finally. He set it back down with a soft and pleased sigh from the much needed drink.

"That was a damn good escape though, and it was like you didn't have to even think about it. I couldn't have pulled it off even with a co-pilot. Don't need to see anymore I think... once we get done with the job, if you want to come on permanently you can."

He knew that he had said they would make the decision after, but Riggs had good instincts. Having been a captain he knew a good crew member when he saw one, and Riggs knew they didn't get much better at flying than what Teyla had just pulled off. Besides, he liked the view he was getting while she was getting her caf. Having a nice backside to look at on occasion was an added bonus. Riggs knew it was dangerous having someone as pretty as her on the ship, but at least Jenkins wasn't alive to tell him to try and go for it.

"Truth be told, I'm tired of working alone, and can take higher paying jobs with the extra hands. A larger crew means bigger jobs in this business, and if you're up for it we could go all out. The ship has room for about three more. More if you bunk with someone later. Just think about between now and the end of this job... but we really got a shot at this I think."

[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

Caf was poured into the waiting mug, Teyla was just appreciative of the hospitable gesture and didn’t stop to think twice that there might be any other reason behind it. “I’m aware.” Teyla retorted, popping open one of the creams and emptying its contents into the cup, choosing to ignore his pessimism. She was still green around the gills, sure, but Teyla thought she knew better than anyone, how to appreciate merely being alive.

Three more creams later, and a couple sugars were added to sweeten the deal before giving the drink a taste. Yes. She was one of those who like a little caf with her cream. She could tell that the roast Riggs used was fairly generic, but she wasn’t one to complain about free anything, and the flavour satisfied nonetheless. Grabbing her ceramic mug by the handle, Teyla meandered over to the booth and placed the cup on the smooth surface before she settled in on the opposite end.

He had complimented her on the escape, mentioning how it seemed that she hadn’t needed to think about it.

Now Teyla was the one looking into her cup.

What Riggs didn’t know was true, was that she hand’t. Instincts and reflexes kind of just took over, but Teyla didn’t fully understand how, yet. What [member="Ferian Adair"] had done to her on those operating tables, had changed a component of her physiology, she knew that much. Would she have been able to pull off a stunt like that before? It was difficult to say, too long of living with these new abilities was something she was starting to grow accustomed to, becoming harder to remember what it was like before. Teyla just stayed quiet, sipped her caf, and tuned back in when he mentioned her staying on permanently. She was surprised he’d already made his decision on the matter, but it was exactly what she wanted to hear. Of course, the thought of bigger jobs and more people seemed a little much to consider right then. She’d mull over the idea.

She grinned, “What happened to not making decisions until the job was actually over? You really think I'm that good?”

[member="Damon Riggs"]

 

[Damon Riggs]

Teyla used all four creamers. It might have been better if she hadn't, but Riggs stored that bit of information away anyway. He couldn't help but make the immediate comparison to Russo. Both were excellent pilots, both had sunkissed brunette hair, and both liked a little bit of caf with their cream. Riggs had his mond on things they shouldn't have been on. Things were over, Russo had moved, and even though the last time he had seen Russo they agreed to be friends, Riggs just wasn't there. She was the first woman he had really ever taken a chance on, and it fizzled. He certainly was not in the place where he wanted to do that again.

There was something about the way Teyla answered him initially that made him want to get a little defensive. She knew it wasn't over til it was over, but he let it slide. He hadn't really had a need to say what he did in the first place, other than wanting her to be aware of how she needed think. The smuggler had a lot of reasons for his perspective, most of it fueld by the fact he was alive and most of his crew had died. Captain Damon Riggs... supposed to go down with the ship, punched and knocked out by his XO and best friend, had survived. The guilt was not as bad as it had been before, but it was still there.

"No you're right... I shouldn't have said anything."

He sipped his caf again, then took a bigger gulp now that it wasn't so hot it was going to burn his throat on the way down. The burn of whisky was one thing... hot liquid was another.

"Yeah, I know what I said, but I'm not about to find a pilot with your skill so easily if I don't offer you the job. Besided your background is as close to military as it comes, and I like that too. I run a tight ship, and when it comes to working the jobs we get I expect the same level of dedication as I would if I were still commanding a battleship. You strike me as the type that could appreciate that."

Riggs looked her in the eyes.

"So... yes or no."

[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

There were still a lot of second guesses that Teyla had in this decision. She knew she shouldn't become his partner, knew she should hop off at the next station and ferry her way back to Naboo, to the family still wondering if she were alive or not. But Teyla was still thinking back on the escape they'd just made, and how much she had enjoyed being in action again. It wasn't a precinct, but she could work under Damons leadership and still possibly do some good for the Galaxy.

Teyla smiled over the rim of her glass as she finished the last of her caf and set it back down. "You have yourself a pilot, Captain."

[member="Damon Riggs"]


------ FIN