The Getaway"
By: Bart "Burner" Reed, Fighter pilot , [RNPC]
Krystal, Hologram, [RNPC]
M'Ressha Mikaht, Fighter Pilot, [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]

Stardate: 58207.08 1830

==Landing deck, Ferengi casino barge==

Blitzer carried the unconscious Burner from the Ferengi Casino after arranging to paying off his wingman's enormous bar tab. With him also was Maxine Tapert, the USS Zion's computer expert who accompanied him on this 'mission' out of friendship.

As they approached the Bajoran shuttle craft they had arrived on, a young Ferengi male stood up from the ground in front of the hatch where he had been sitting.

"I know what you did," said the Ferengi in his raspy, greedy voice.

Blitzer set Burner down and looked at Maxine with a perplexed expression. Maxine was just as perplexed as he was, and moved to stand next to the unconscious Burner.

"What do you mean?" asked Blitzer.

Without taking his eyes off Blitzer, he pointed to the black shuttle craft Blitzer had bumped on landing. "Do you know who owns that shuttle?" he asked.

Blitzer, who towered over the young Ferengi male, looked up at the shuttle, "Oh, that one?" he asked, folding his arms he returned his gaze to the Ferengi, "No, I do not."

Blitzer pointed to his shuttle and mocked the Ferengi's voice, "do you know who owns that shuttle?"

"It doesn't matter," said the Ferengi pointing back to the black shuttle, "That shuttle belongs to the owner of this establishment."

"So?"

"I saaaw you hit it with your shuttle. That's a very expensive mistake."

"How expensive?" said Blitzer, mostly out of curiosity.

The Ferengi wrung his hands together, "Forty bars of latinum and Mok say nothing."

"Well, there isn't even a scratch on it, besides, he shouldn't have taken up two landing spaces," said Blitzer defensively.

"You shouldn't have landed on him," retorted the Ferengi.

"Well, Mok, see ... It's like this, we just came from the casino and we have no more latinum left," said Blitzer.

Mok, with a disappointed look on his face thought about it for a moment. "You must have some valuables?"

"Sorry," said Blitzer side stepping Mok, "fresh out."

Mok became angry and pulled out a knife. "I want my forty bars of latinum."

With cat-like reflexes Blitzer grabbed Mok's wrist and pulled the knife from his clenched little fist and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Those are dangerous," said Blitzer with a condescending voice.

"I'll teach you!" said Mok as he started swinging at Blitzer.

Blitzer casually unsheathed his claws and grabbed the Ferengi lightly by his lobes. On feeling the light pricks of Blitzer's claws on his sensitive ears, the young Ferengi cried out in pain.

Maxine winced, but was more than willing to let Blitzer handle the irritating Ferengi; although she couldn't blame him really. After all... It was all about the Profit...

"You big baby, I'm not even hurting you," admonished Blitzer.

"Let me go! let me go!" he yelled.

"You must have some sort of Rule of Acquisition to describe this predicament." said Blitzer teasing him.

Mok stopped struggling realizing he was hurting himself more by struggling, resigned for the moment, to be Blitzer's prisoner.

"Uhmm... Ferengi Rule of Aquisition #203, 'New customers are sometimes like greeworms. They sometimes bite back'."

"Good one," said Blitzer as he winked at Max. He released Mok, "now get out of here," said Blitzer somewhat pleading.

"You have built in knives, what kind of alien are you?" asked Mok.

Blitzer lifted Burner onto his shoulder and looked back.

"I'm Kzinti."

"And you should be very careful around him," Maxine added.

They were suddenly interrupted by the commotion coming from the direction of the casino. The fat Ferengi and his guards were heading in their direction. "You there, stop where you are," he demanded, "You damaged my shuttle. I demand payment!"

Burner snored loudly, slumped over Blitzer's shoulder.

Maxine looked from the young Ferengi, to the fat one, and then to Blitzer. "Pixie.." she touched her communicator, "Open the bloody 'atch and start the engines.."

"Aye, Aye, Mr. Christian!" the tiny voice replied as the hatch started to open and the sound of the engines could be heard spinning up.

"Time t' go, eh?" Max grinned at Blitzer.

Blitzer shifted Burner's weight on his shoulder and turned toward the entourage coming their way. "Yep," said Blitzer in full agreement.

"The sooner the better, I always say... No sense in wearing out our welcome..."

Blitzer nodded, "I was thinking the same thing."

As they walked up the ramp the little Ferengi continued his protest and followed them inside.

"You don't dare leave!" he snorted.

Blitzer slid Burner off his shoulder onto the deck, "Max, pleeease?" he said motioning with his head toward the Ferengi.

"...if you leave with me on your ship that is kidnapping, you'll go to prison for that, you will go to prison anyway, you should have just paid me my 40 bars of ...."

"In order to prove kidnapping they'd 'ave t' find you," Maxine pointed out as she stood in the way of the small Frenegi. "You can come with us if you want, but there's no guarantees you'll make it to our destination... accidents 'appen in space, y'know..."

It took a moment for Mok to decide to call Max's bluff, "You don't scare me," said the insolent Ferengi, "you wouldn't dare leave with me on the ship, I'm staying right here."

"Suit yourself," Maxine quirked a brow at him and shrugged as the little Ferengi pushed past her. "Ferengi Rules of Acquisition #275: Never bargain with people who 'ave already given all their money t' another, fatter, Ferengi," Maxine scolded him.

The Ferengi thought about that a moment, and then protested, "Hey, that's not rule #275."

Nobody was listening.

While Max was arguing with the Ferengi, Blitzer hopped in the pilot seat, "Krystal, systems check?"

"Everything's in working order, Captain Bligh!" the pixie announced. "Engines, -check-. Shields, -check-. Sensors, -che---. We have an intruder on board, Captain! Should I shoot it???"

Blitzer paused from what he was doing, "Can you do that?" he asked curiously.

"Affirmative," Krystal nodded her head. "The shuttle is equipped with passable phasers," she told him. "I can always shoot it with my arrows!" she added as a tiny quiver of arrows appeared on her back and a longbow materialized in her hands. "I'm a good shot." And she nocked an arrow just to prove her point.

Blitzer grinned, "Max, just close the hatch, we're out of time," he said as he engaged the shuttle's thrusters.

Blitzer turned and looked over at his chair, seeing Max close the hatch he looked at the pixie, "Okay, if he moves, shoot him."

"Affirmative!" Krystal giggled and moved to flutter closer to the Ferengi with her arrow at the ready.

The Ferengi stared at the pixie wide-eyed, uncertain if he were in any real danger or not.

As soon as the hatch was closed, Max moved to secure Burner with some of the cargo straps, and then hopped in the co-pilot's seat to do the same for herself.

"We're leaving!" announced Blitzer, "Hang on!"

"Ready!" Maxine clicked the harness.

The shuttle lifted up 20 feet off the flight deck and bolted toward the open hanger door. The Ferengi lost his footing as the shuttle accelerated rapidly and slipped, landing in a heap at the back of the shuttle.

The massive docking bay doors began to close. "Uhh... Kitty... their tractor beams are powering up..." Maxine told him as she fiddled with the computer console. "Better put a move on...."

Blitzer urged the shuttle into a dive and flew just a few inches above the deck, weaving in and out of other parked space vehicles. As the shuttle veered back and fourth it would lightly touch the metallic flight deck or brush another ship sending a flash of sparks raining back down on to the deck.

When he neared the docking bay portal, the huge blast doors which were now almost closed. The shuttle was now just a blur of motion as he snapped it to a side-ways roll and squeezed through gap in the door with just inches to spare.

"Whoo!" said Blitzer, as adrenalin surged through his body. The fur on the back of his neck was standing straight out, he smoothed it into place as he laughed nervously, "hah!"

"WEEEEEEE!!!" Krystal squealed in delight.

"Holy Parser Rat on a stick!" Maxine tried to breathe. "Damn you're good," she reached over and lightly tweaked a whisker with a wide grin.

He winked at Max, "They don't call me Blitzer for nothing."

He looked over his shoulder at the unconscious Ferengi. "Did you shoot him?" he asked the Pixie.

"Uhhhh...." Krystal looked from Blitzer to the Ferengi and back to Blitzer. "Uh-huh... but it was just a Sleep Arrow!" she defended herself, not that the holographic arrow actually *did* anything and the small Ferengi was likely passed out from fright.. Or clunking into the back of the shuttle.

"Time for a little cleanup, I think..." Maxine observed as she began rapidly typing on her keyboard. "Krystal, run your intrusion program and get us into the station's computer logs..." she instructed.

Blitzer looked over at her working frantically, "What are you doing?"

Maxine looked over at the question and smiled as she answered, "M'going t' change our registry number in their logs..."

Blitzer nodded, "You can do that?"

"Well... assuming they don't have any security Pixie and I can't hack...." Maxine started and then finished with, "Done!" as she sat back and grinned over at him.

"Damn you're good," said Blitzer.

Max laughed and winked at him.

"We're going to take the long way home. If I know the Ferengi they'll be looking for us."

"True, true," Maxine agreed and went back to the working on the computer. "I'll try and scramble their sensors..."

"We're a light year from Betazed. I'm going to fly that way for a bit then we'll circle back so we have a different approach vector."

Max nodded and did some computations. "We're a little short on fuel, Kitty. It's going t' be tight," she told him and looked back at the Ferengi. "Might want t' lighten our load..."

There was a long silence as Blitzer tried to confirm Max's fuel computations and she kept trying to hack the systems on the Ferengi casino barge.

Blitzer heard the Ferengi groan.

"Krystal, can you take over?"

"Aye, aye, Cap'n Bligh!" The arrows and bow disappeared to be replaced by a pirate's outfit complete with eye patch, and the little pixie saluted.

Blitzer got up from the pilot's console and checked on Burner.

He was still out cold. The Ferengi on the other had was sitting up, rubbing his head.

"Are you okay?"

"You tried to kill me," sniveled the Ferengi who then pointed at Maxine, "and you! You threatened me!"

"Technically that's not true," Max swiveled in her seat to watch the big Cait and the smaller Ferengi.

"Under Ferengi law I order you to turn your vessel over to me."

"Not a chance," said Blitzer, "just pipe down."

"Besides, we're not Ferengi," Maxine added helpfully.

Blitzer smiled at Max's ruse and nodded.

The Ferengi stood up as he rubbed his neck. He looked out a small round port hole, "Where are we?" he asked in a demanding voice.

"We're in Khzinti space now,' said Blitzer, keeping up the charade.

The Ferengi turned and looked shocked.

"That's right Mister, your Ferengi laws have no jurisdiction here," stated Blitzer.

"Wh-What are you going to do with me?" he asked.

Blitzer shrugged, "We're going to sell you into slavery to the Orion Syndicate of course." The poker-faced Caitian did everything he could to keep from smiling.

Maxine cleared her throat and busied herself at the computer as she tried not to laugh either.

"Nooo!" cried the Ferengi slumping to his knees pathetically. "Please, I beg of you, I will pay you anything you need, Don't do this to me please!"

He got up and started swinging at the Caitian, "I won't let you!"

Blitzer grabbed his arm and lifted him up, forcing him to walk on his tip-toes as he walked over to the weapons locker.

Punching in the code, the door opened revealing an assortment of Maquis and Bajoran weapons. Blitzer opened several drawers until he found what he was looking for.

"What are you going to do to me?" pleaded the Ferengi.

Blitzer pulled out some wrist binders and dragged the little Ferengi to the back of the ship where he locked both his wrists to a bulkhead facing backwards so they wouldn't have to look at him.

The Ferengi immediately began to complain, "This isn't very comfortable."

"Shut up already," commanded Blitzer.

The Ferengi continued to whine.

Blitzer found a knife and cut the bottom of his tunic off.

"I'll pay you anything you want. Name your price," continued the Ferengi with his pleas as Blitzer began to gag him.

Blitzer returned to his chair.

Maxine looked from direction of the bound and gagged Ferengi to Blitzer.

"That's effective, Kitty," she smiled. "And much quieter," she nodded, only to have Krystal start singing...

"Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum... It's a pirate's life for me!"

"Maybe we should gag her too," Maxine suggested, clearly teasing.

"You can't gag me!" Krystal protested as she looked from one to the other of them and scowling at them both.

"Krystal, would you mind singing the beer song to our guests in the back?" asked Blitzer.

Krystal's eyes lit up and she nodded. A captive audience!

"Oooohhhh ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall... ninety-nine bottles of beer..." she sang as she fluttered back to the Ferengi who groaned expressively.

"Good idea," Max laughed

***

Several hours had passed. During the whole time Blitzer and Max made small talk while Krystal continued to entertain the the Ferengi and the unconscious wingman.

Blitzer yawned. "I'm going to take nap," announced Blitzer as he got up and stretched.

"That's a good idea," Max agreed. By now she'd managed to tweak the casino's sensors enough that they believed the shuttle was heading in a direction that took them away from its current position, a fact she told Blitzer.

Blitzer nodded, "That should help."

He turned and looked at Krystal who was still hovering near the ferengi and stepped to the rear of the shuttle.

"...it helps if you have pert breasts," Krystal told the Ferengi as she showed him hers. "Maxie says I have pert breasts..."

"Krystal, you can go fly now for a while. Wake us up if anything happens...at all."

"Aye, aye, captain!" the pixie saluted and waved to the Ferengi before flittering off to the pilot's console.

The Ferengi rolled his eyes and groaned a sigh of relief.

Blitzer peered around the bulkhead beam that he had bound the Ferengi to. The little twerp looked very uncomfortable. "If I take the gag off, you promise not to say one word?"

Mok, the Ferengi nodded.

Blitzer loosened up the gag and slipped it off.

Mok opened his mouth to complain but before he could say anything Blitzer gestured, "Shh! Not a one word."

Blitzer unfastened the binders and said. "Go use the head."

Standing up he rubbed his wrists where the binders had been, then nodded and opened the hatch. "Leave it open," commanded Blitzer, "and no tricks."

While Mok was busy, Blitzer pulled out the little draw that supported the sleeping mat. He lifted the mat and looked under it. "Not there," he mumbled.

When the Ferengi emerged, Blitzer asked him, "Did you wash your hands?"

Mok only returned a dumb looking expression. "Never mind, just get over here."

The Ferengi slowly complied and took up his seat facing the rear of the shuttle again.

Blitzer knelt down and fastened the critter's hands again with the binders.

Next he checked Burner. There was no question he was still alive. His snoring was incessant.

He decided to leave the Burner strapped in for his own protection.

Finding a blanket he spread it out. With another yawn and another stretch Blitzer knelt down on the mat and pulled up the covers.

"Want some company?" Max turned in her chair to watch him.

"Sure," said Blitzer, "If you want to."

"Yeah," Maxine nodded and slipped from the chair to settle onto the mat next to him.

"I got t' tell you, Kitty... retrieving wingmen is pretty intense work," she smiled and let her breath out in a heartfelt sigh. "Did you ever find my... y'know..." she gestured and looked over at him.

Blitzer twitched his lips and tilted his head. "Sorry, I have no idea," he said thoughtfully, "but you seem to be doing fine without them," he offered sympathetically.

"Well.. Yeah.. but..." her voice trailed off.

"If we don't find it, I'll get you a new one when we get back," he added.

Maxine blinked and looked up at him. "Y'know, Kitty... That just might be worth not finding it..." she told him with a thoughtful smile.

Blitzer's ear's snapped to attention as he arched an eyebrow and then returned to their normal state as he smirked. He pulled the covers up and tucked Max in. "Good night Pixie."

He pulled the covers up and tucked Max in. "Good night Pixie."

"Good night, Warrior Toes," the pixie responded in a rather soft voice as the lights started to dim.

"Good night Mok"

The Ferengi just groaned.

"Good night Burner."

Burner just snored.

"That's everyone," Max announced and pulled him under the covers with her.

"G'night, Kitty."

"Good night Max." he said leaning over and giving her a playful lick on the cheek which made her giggle and tweak his whiskers.

***

Burner's head throbbed, his stomach felt as if someone had turned it inside out. Slowly, he opened his eyes, The room was dim, and for that Burner was thankful. Burner then realized that he was cargo, or rather that he was strapped to the wall by a cargo restraint. He twisted his body around so that his hands could release the cargo restraint. He landed on his unsure legs.

As he was massaging the areas across his chest where the restraint had been Burner noticed a white fabric in the cargo netting, it appeared to be ladies under garments. Burner strained his brain trying the remember the events of the last few weeks. He could remember doing a lot of drinking and gambling, however, he did not remember any intimate moments. Shrugging he dropped the white fabric on the ground.

Burner decided he needed to find out where he was so he ordered the lights up 10 percent. From here he could make out the face of a sleeping Ferengi. Burner gave the Ferengi a shove, "Wake up," he demanded.

Mok, the Ferengi woke up with a start "huh?" When he came around to realizing he was still having a real life nightmare he sighed, "What do you want?"

"Who are you and what is going on," demanded Burner.

"Shh!" said the Ferengi, "I am Mok, keep your voice down," he said with a whisper. "We have been kidnapped. Quick! Unbind me!"

Burner probed his Swiss cheese memory and seemed to remember being confronted by a Ferengi so he was not quick to help this one. He laughed, "Why would anyone kidnap a Ferengi," Burner laughed some more, even thought it hurt his head to do so. "Who kidnapped us, Ferengi?"

The Ferengi nodded toward Max and Blitzer, "A furry Kzinti and a Huumon. They are going to sell us to the Orions."

The word Kzinti had a familiar ring to it. He seemed to remember Blitzer telling him about them. The idea of being an Orion slave did not bother Burner one bit; he found the green women fascinating. Turning around he walked over to where Blitzer and Max were laying asleep.

"It's Blitz," thought Burner relaxing. He wondered what game Blitzer was playing with the Ferengi but then turned and started towards the shuttle controls.

"Where are you going Huumon? Unbind me!"

Burner stopped to count the throbs pulsing in his head, he could not have this Ferengi screeching at him. He searched the room until he found a strip of cloth that had been dumped on the floor. He picked up the rag and walked over to the Ferengi and shoved the cloth into his mouth, "I don't think so little guy," he said, "Patting him on the top of the head."

Burner returned to the front of the shuttle and sat down in the pilots chair. The shuttle seemed to be flying on automatic. "Computer disengage automatic flight control."

"Hey! You're not supposed to be flying! I am," Krystal announced as she popped into view, still looking like a little pirate with wings. "You don't know where we're going," she pointed out. "And that we're evading the Ferengi's," she added with a small nod and a flutter of golden pixie dust. "I better wake up Warrior Toes."

"Warrior To--," stammered Burner in shock, "What.., Who are you?" said Burner. He was afraid that he might have gotten into some bad Ferengi drugs and was having a bizarre flashback.

"I am Krystal. I came with Maxine." She pointed to where Blitzer and Maxine were asleep. "Actually, I'm multi-tasking. No, technically I'm Cloning," she corrected with a little nod. "But I don't like dragons. They scare me, and babysitting one wasn't very much fun, so I'm here too!" she told him with a giggle. "And Warrior Toes told me to wake them if *anything* happened... and you count as an 'anything'," she pronounced with another little nod.

Burner shook his head to try to make, what he was convinced was a delusion, go away. When the pixie did not go away he reached out his finger and poked her gently.

"Hey!! Cut that out!" she shook like a wet dog after his fingers disrupted her pixels. "It's not nice to poke holograms in the stomach," she scolded him, and used her finger for emphasis.

"A hologram," said Burner in utter amazement. He looked around, "I do not see any holoemitters. How can you be a hologram?"

Krystal pointed to Maxine who was just barely visible under the covers next to Blitzer. "Maxie has them in her hair," she told him. "But I can't be a *real* pixie here because there's no replicator and no force field generators," she added helpfully.

"A real pixie," said Burner with a chuckle. He looked over at Blitzer, "Let's not wake up the big cat just yet," he suggested. "Why don't you just get me caught up on what we are doing and I will fly for a while." Burner really did want to fly, anything to take his mind off his pounding headache.

"But... Warrior Toes..." the little pixie hologram began, only she was forestalled by the prospect of telling him what had happened.

"Welll.... You see, it was like this..." The pirate's outfit disappeared to be replaced by her normal pixie garb. And then she proceeded to act out everything she knew as she told Burner everything that had happened. She started with the "party", pantomiming Max and Blitzer when they were drunk. Then she told him about the broken sign and from there the shower, then to landing on the fat Ferengi's ship and to winding up with the stowaway, who she pointed to just to make sure he knew who it was.

She drew a breath and then proceeded to tell him, complete with sound effects, how they narrowly escaped though the closing dock doors and then how she and Max changed the logs, and then how they she shot the Ferengi, but told him it didn't count cause it wasn't a *real* arrow. She went on to tell him how they confused the casino's sensors so they couldn't find them, and how they were flying around to come at the other side of Betazed, but they were low on fuel.. And she showed him how Blitzer tied up and gagged the Ferengi and how she sang the beer song to him.

She finally took another breath and plopped down on the console with a tiny poof of pixie dust.

Burner shook his head. There was no way he could keep up with the pixie; it made his head hurt -- Even more than it already had before her story, "Let them sleep," he said. "And let me have control of the ship. I will follow Blitzer's flight plan."

The little pixie eyed him rather comically with one eye opened and one closed as she sprawled on the console. "I don't know... I might get in trouble.. And bad things happen when I get in trouble," she told him. "Really, Really bad things."

Burner flashed her a smile and turned on his charm, this was, after all, a female hologram, "Relax pretty pixie, Blitzer is my wingman. I will not let anything bad happen to him." He looked at the fuel stores and their present course. They would need to adjust their course a little. Their fuel supply was getting low.

"Nonono... Bad things happen to ME when I get in trouble," she clarified with a little giggle. But his 'pretty pixie' comment had her starting to preen her wings. "Maxie will put me on restriction," she told him. "And not let me into the computer... And the worst... the very worst thing is..." she lowered her voice to a mere whisper... "..if she turns me off..." She shuddered delicately at the mere thought.

"I tell you what...," Burner paused in mid sentence and studied the pixie closely, "wow...I have got to hand it to Max, you have the most incredible ... eyes," said Burner.

Krystal blinked big blue eyes at him and grinned. "I have pert breasts too," she told him as she stood up and cupped her breasts to show him. "See? Don't you think they're pert?" She turned this way and that so he'd be sure and get a good view of them.

Burner flashed a smile at her, "Oh my yes...you sure do!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, "Very pert. I'd say they are perfect."

"Oooohh... Perfect..." Krystal began preening herself again because now she had PERFECT breasts instead of just pert ones.

"I tell you what, "You let me fly for a while, and you can sit right here," he said indicating his lap, "and keep me company. You can keep an eye on me too. If something bad happens you can wake up the cat, no argument from me."

Krystal stopped her preening to look from him to his lap, then to the computer console that housed the flight controls. Her gaze flitted over to the sleeping Blitzer and finally back to him as she processed his request.

"Well..." she placed her tiny hands on her hips and tipped her head a bit to look up at him and blink. "Okay!" she gave him a huge grin and the computer announced that the autopilot had been disengaged.

Burner smiled at the little imp and tried to relax in the pilot's seat.

"I'll be right back!" she told him and then flitted over to the sleeping Maxine. "Maxie! Maxie! Maxie!!" she squealed in the computer specialists ear. After all, she didn't agree to not wake up Max, just Warrior Toes. "WAKE UP!! WAKE UP!!"

"What? 'uh?" Maxine woke from a dead sleep to sit up and look around in confusion. "Bloody 'ell?" she pushed her hair out of her face and blinked as the hologram fluttering right in front of her nose had her looking cross-eyed to see the pixie.

"I have *perfect* breasts," Krystal announced as she cupped her breasts and showed them off to the still groggy computer specialist.

"'eh?" Maxine blinked and pulled back so she didn't have to look cross-eyed any more.

"Perfect Breasts! I have *perfect* breasts! See?" she showed them off again. "HE said so!" she grinned and pointed to were Burner was piloting the shuttle.

"Yeah baby! Perfect!" said Burner, egging the hologram on.

"See!!" Krystal giggled and made sure Maxine got a really good look at her Perfect Breasts.

Maxine squinted and rubbed her eyes as she dutifully turned her head to look at where Burner was grinningly sitting in the pilot's seat. "What's 'e doing?"

"Flying," Krystal was still pretty occupied with showing off her Perfect Breasts.

Maxine reached her hand back to grab hold of Blitzer and shake him. "Kitty..." she turned to look back at him then. "Kitty..." she leaned in close and tickled his ear. "Wake up."

Blitzer sat up quickly, his eyes and ears quickly accessed the scene, "What's going on?"

Maxine sat up with him and nodded towards Burner. "Our Dancing Dabo player is awake and according to Krystal, 'e's flying." There wasn't a whole lot of concern in her voice. More than likely because she didn't figure he could crash them into anything and was probably pretty lucid if he told Krystal she had perfect breasts...

Blitzer rubbed his eyes and peaked under the covers before standing up.

"'ey now..." Max grinned at him and poked his stomach as he got up.

Blitzer winked at Max.

He stretched and yawn before taking a chair next to Burner. Blitzer pulled up the navigational data on the adjacent console, "you shouldn't be flying this thing, you know."

"I have *Perfect* Breasts, Warrior Toes!" Pixie popped into view on the console and cupped her breasts to show him. "He said so..." she pointed to Burner.

"Is that so?" replied Blitzer, giving Burner a sideways glance.

Blitzer cocked his ear attentively toward Burner waiting for an explanation, "You told the hologram she had...?"

Burner turned around, "Perfect breasts! Hell yes I did, look at em!"

Maxine could be heard snickering as she padded softly across the deck and disappeared into the head.

Blitzer cocked his head slightly as he regarded her breasts. It seemed to him he had been though this ritual with the Pixie before.

Krystal pushed her Perfect Breasts out just a bit more and began preening herself.

"Yes, they are perfect," agreed Blitzer turning back to the console and checking the status.

"Oh!" Krystal blinked and looked like she was about to explode from prideful pleasure. She had PERFECT BREASTS! Even Warrior Toes said so.

Blitzer tried to be nonchalant as he settled back into the chair, "you okay to fly this thing?"

"Relax my furry friend," exclaimed Burner, "I could fly this thing passed out."

Blitzer smirked.

"Do you even know where we are going?" he asked.

"Home," said Burner, "The pretty pixie filled me in."

"Right...Of Course she did," said Blitzer turning toward the pixie again. Sometimes it was hard to remember she was just computer software.

A pause silence passed. Blitzer watched Krystal preen for a bit, then he turned and asked Burner, "Had some fun did you?"

Burner clapped his hands together, "Oh man, Did I! I have some stories to tell you?"

"Well, if it were half the adventure of trying to find you...." replied Blitzer.

"Why did you come looking for me anyway?"

"We've been assigned to a new project!" said Blitzer.

"Sweet," said Burner. "What is it about?"

"Yeah, something called the...." Blitzer looked back at the Ferengi and then over to Burner.

He pulled the seat up to the console and typed a message into it and sent it to Burner's console.

The message read: "PEGASUS"

"Nice name," typed Burner back into his console, "What else?"

"Not much to tell," said Blitzer verbally as he typed in: 'some sort of small, fast attack ship, crew compliment of 8.'

After seeing Burner read the new message Blitzer said, "Max is designing an AI for the ship."

"Excellent," said Burner clearing his console, "I hope she has perfect breasts."

"I just hope they are not dragon breasts," chuckled Blitzer.

Blitzer stood up, "I'm going to get cleaned up and get some food...you okay?"

"I'm fine"

Blitzer opened the door to the head, "Are you about done?" he asked Max.

"'ey Kitty..." Maxine smiled up at him and scratched his stomach as she slipped by him. "All yours... Did y'see my barrette?" she asked, touching her loose and tousled looking hair.

"Oh... never mind. I see it," she pointed to the bed where the holo-emitter glinted softly in the subdued lighting, and headed over there to retrieve it.

"Oh... she stopped halfway to turn around and look back at him. "Uhhh... I never did find my... uh... y'know..." she made some abstract motions with her hands and shrugged.

Blitzer gave Max a sheepish look, "Uh, no... I hope we find it before someone else does." Blitzer looked over his shoulder at the other two occupants.

"Keep an eye out, eh?"

Blitzer stepped into the head and closed the door.

Maxine tidied up the bed, pushing the drawer back into the bulkhead and plopped into the co-pilot's seat as she fastened the barrette in her hair.

"'ey Burner. 'ow's the 'ead?"

"Throbbing," he said. "I don't suppose there is any Romulan Ale around here is there?"

Maxine snorted softly and gave him a *look*. "Nah. We drank it all. But there's some pain killer in the first aide kit."

"OOOOhhh!!! I'll be the EMH! Can I be the EMH, Maxie? Can I, huh?" Krystal stopped her preening and looked from one to the other of them, grinning widely.

"The Ale works better," said Burner glumly.

"Aye, I know," Maxine gave him a quirky smile. "I 'ave a killer 'angover cure... but unfortunately I can't make it without a replicator," she shrugged a bit. "I'll get the pain killer," she offered and slipped from the seat.

"And no, Krystal, you can't be the EMH. There's no replicator and no force fields..." Max pointed out as she retrieved the drug from the first aide kit.

The pixie hologram pouted for a moment, but went back to preening herself.

"So what's up with you and the 'big cat'?" asked Burner taking the medicine that she offered him. "You trying to make him purr or something?"

"We're...uhh... friends?" she offered kind of sheepishly, unsure what he was asking, and unsure what to actually call what they were. More than friends, certainly, but Max's ability to actually label that was sadly lacking. She didn't have any code for it. "And what do y'mean, *trying*?" Maxine asked curiously, and with a quirky kind of smile. "'e already purrs.."

"Really?" said Burner, flashing her a grin. "Just what did you have to do to make him purr?" Burner paused, "On second though, I don't want to know."

Maxine blinked. "You mean he didn't always? I mean... he didn't before we... I mean... He's a CAT!" Her cheeks turned a soft rose color as she stumbled her way through that.

Krystal giggled.

About that time Blitzer emerged from the head adjusting his tunic. He eyed everyone there suspiciously, "What?"

Maxine's cheeks turned even redder and she looked like she'd just gotten caught with her hands in the cookie jar.

Burner leaned forward and whispered into Max's ear, "Purrrrrr!"

"'ey now," Max hissed in a scolding whisper and lightly elbowed him.

Blitzer cocked his hear in Burner's direction, but despite his sensitive hearing, he wasn't sure what Burner had said. He squinted a moment, certain it was about him.

He turned his attention to the Ferengi who was tied up and gagged.

He pulled out the gag and released the binders. "You have 10 minutes in the head. No funny business," he said waving a finger with its claw protruding menacingly.

The Ferengi didn't even say a word but slipped into the head.

"I don't think we're being followed. Are there any Maquis ships in the area that could refuel us?" asked Blitzer from the rear of the cabin.

"I'm sure we will find someone," said Burner.