Invitation"
By: M'Ressha Mikaht, Fighter Pilot , [RNPC]
Bart "Burner" Reed, Fighter Pilot , [RNPC]
Ryan-Steven ‘Rusty Ryan’ Madriani, Marine CO, [PST]

Stardate: 58205.30 1520

==Pilot's Lounge=

Blitzer entered the pilot's lounge and spotted Burner at the Bar. The lounge was perhaps the smallest nook of the ship, but it suited them fine.

He sat down on the stool next to him and nodded, "hey,"

"Hey Blitz, did you have a good time flying that bus?" Burner laughed.

"I had a great time," he said with a wink, "...and it wasn't the bus."

Burner chuckled and then to a drink, "You sure surprised me."

"I couldn't help myself, I was itching to shoot something," said Blitzer.

He reached over the short bar and punched in his favorite drink and pulled it from the replicator.

"So are they going to keep you driving the bus or are you coming back to your fighter where you belong?"

"Oh, you'd like it if I drove the bus," sneered Blitzer back rolling his eyes.

The smile fell from Burner's face, "No Blitz, I want you where you belong." Burner sighed, "Your stand-in did not survive the Pacifica battle."

Blitzer's ears drooped, he took a sip of his drink, "Billings?"

"Yeah, I told him to stay with me. He didn't listen." Burner took a drink.

"I saw something blow, but I couldn't tell..."

"To Billings," Burner said, lifting his glass.

Blitzer's ears snapped forward attentively as he raised his glass, "To Billings."

He clinked his glass to Burner's and gulped it down.

A long silence passed, "I almost didn't make it back either."

"I noticed you had a injury, what happened," asked Burner.

Some big bug almost ripped my leg off. I almost bled to death. but I was saved by a Faery."

"A what," asked Burner.

"You know," said Blitzer waiving his arms around mimicking the way Krystal flies, "...a Pixie."

Burner looked at his friend wondering if he had gotten into some bad catnip or somehting.

"The computer specialist had some sort of holographic thing, Oh! you have to meet her!"

"I look forward to it," he said finishing his drink. Burner got up and got a fresh drink from the replicator.

"I guess everything is going to be alright on Pacifica huh?" said Blitzer.

"I guess so," said Burner, "Their men on the ground did not have much to offer us."

"They sure do have a few flying aces left though don't they?"

"They had some left," he corrected with a laugh.

"Whew," replied "do you remember when we were up against the Sulu's wings?"

"How could I forget," said Burner.

Blitzer bottomed up his glass and fetched another.

"It was a good little fight," he said.

Blitzer raised his glass, "To Murphy and Carson."

Burner raised his glass in a silent toas to the memory of lost friends.

"Burn, I gotta ask you something personal," said Blitzer.

"Go ahread," said Burner lifting the glass to his lips

"Have you ever seen .... porn? I think it is used to arou..."

Burner choked on his drink and sent a slight spray if it across the table. "What," he asked.

Blitzer covered his snout a moment, "Its uhm... Do you know of it?"

"Yes, umm where did you hear about porn," Burner asked tring very hard to keep from laughing.

The Cait's whiskers twitched nervously, the subject seemed to have a wide range of effects on humans. He flipped his paw upside expressively, "It came up in conversation, Krystal was asking about...Uhm, er... never mind."

Blitzer turned on his stool, "You have to meet them, they're a hoot," he said changing the subject.

"Sure thing Blitz," said Burner.

"So what happened after Billings was shot down?"

"In a nut shell, the Marine's landed and started taking out Federation positions," said Burner taking a drink. "It did not take very long, the Federation men seemed to have forgotten to bring the backbones to Pacifica."

Blitzer turned around on the stool and leaned against the bar. Other pilots now occupied the lounge as well. He noted that Nova wasn't among them. "Nova sat out the mission?"

"Yeah," he replied.

Blitzer nodded.

Blitzer watched as their commanding officer, Madriani came in. Everyone including him and Burner stood at attention.

"At ease," he called out. He made his way to where Blitzer and Burner were. "Congratulations Boys, your going to a party." He handed them both a padd.

Blitzer's jaw dropped as he read their presence was being requested on the D'kuul. He looked at Burner who was scanning the PADD.

Before he could say any thing the Major said, "Dress uniforms." Madriani looked down at Blitzer's tail which was swishing anxiously back and forth, in turn he looked them both in the eye, "don't make spectacles of yourselves."

Blitzer returned a salute.

Burner also saluted his commanding officer.

"Yes Sir," echoed Blitzer.