A long way to get home...

Posted on Fri May 20th, 2011 @ 1:56am by Darek Halsey & Captain Nathan Cowell MD

Mission: Shore Leave 2; Picking Up the Pieces
Location: Various
Timeline: Various points in time leading to the arrival of the Arizona at SB900

=Promenade, Deep Space 10=

Darek stood amongst the shadows on the wide expansive area known as the promenade on DS10. His gaze searched the crowed pedestrian area as the residents and guests of the station went about there business, he had nothing to look for anymore. No target to seek out, no person of interest, nothing. But that was what happened when one decided to give up their commission and distinguished record over some stupid set of transfer orders. His eyes wandered back to the private communications terminals that were set up in quads near the far wall from where he stood, one had finally become available, as its previous occupant had ceased her angry gestures and was now stomping towards what would probably be a bar or her quarters, Darek frankly didn't care.

Now turning his whole body he twisted right and then left, and pushed off the wall with his boot and back. Darek gently slipped through the crowd towards the subspace communications hub, slipping inside the door slid shut and he dropped his duffel on the ground. The thing barely made a sound as it hit the ground, but then again he'd never really been a man of many worldly possessions. Shifting his jacket slightly he felt the reassuring presence of his particle magnum and knife, two things he never went many places with out and civilian life was defiantly one he would take them with for.

With his knuckle Darek input the code for the Arizona and then the transfer code to the Captain's ready room. As the system dialed up Darek ran his hands over his face, grimacing as his bandaged hand bumped the wall on it's way down. Another sigh escaped his lips as he shook out the hand and pulled the partially smoked and chewed upon cigar from his mouth, both wound and cigar were prices from excessive drinking, anger, and a Dabo game gone bad.

The screen in front of him briefly flashed *Call Connected* the walls polarized and the screen showed the federation standard.

The image of Captain Cowell flashed before the man, a frown plastered on the man's face, "Halsey, what the hell are you doing still on that station?"

Darek was usually never one to be at a loss of words, but it seemed there was a first time for everything. "Uh.. Well Sir, I refused to transfer off the Arizona... So they yanked my commission and discharged me from Star Fleet..." He replied, his face showing the strain of losing everything he had. His blood shot eyes, haggard features stood out on the video screen. "And I have no where to go..."

The sound of fingers drumming in the background could be heard for a moment before the old man sighed, "Give me a few weeks, I'll work something out for you. Until then, try to keep yourself busy."

Nodding, "Aye Captain will do." He said and the feed was cut from the other end, sighing he placed the cigar back into the corner of his mouth and retried his duffel bag from where it had lain on the floor. Turning the booth walls unpolarized and the door opened, Darek looked around the promenade and spotted his tail. The woman was sitting in a small cafe appearing as if she was reading a padd, but Darek knew other wise. With small wave he caught her attention, winked, and he then disappeared into the crowd he had friends who owed him favors, and some pretty big ones at that.

=Two Weeks Later=

Darek opened his eyes as the artificial lights were flipped on, his hiding place stretched out in a cargo net above the main cargo hold was still black as night. He watched as a pair of Bajorans entered the hold with weapons drawn, 'Shit... someone must have given me up! Darek said to himself as he quickly scrambled from the net to the cargo gantry that hung above him. It was his fifth odd job in last two weeks it'd taken sometime to get off DS10 but after talking to the right people and showing them who and what he'd been it was easy work to start pulling in small jobs that took him places he needed to go. Everything from private investigation to VIP protection, had taken Darek from DS10 to, two dozen different planets, and a number of different sectors.

This would have been his final job, but it looked like someone had other plans. With a practiced grace Darek stood and began a quick crouched sprint across the gantry. Arriving at the far wall, Darek slowed and checked himself. He had everything, with a nod to himself Darek dropped the 5 meters to the cargo bay floor and rolled sprinting for the opening cargo bay doors. It must have been the middle of the night, the few deck hands about looked tired and ready to go home, Darek slipped away from them and towards the exit and his contact. As he neared the exit he stopped and slipped between a pair of cargo containers and switched from his work gear back into jeans, a black hoody, brown leather jacket and boots. With everything repacked and duffel over his shoulder he stepped up to the exit, his left hand reaching for the activation switch and his right sliding under his jacket at the small of his back for his magnum.

As the doors parted and Darek's eyes adjusted to the light he was stunned, the person standing before him was not one he had expected to see... just yet.

Commodore Nathan Cowell stood before the man that had at one time served as his Chief Intelligence Officer and shook his head. He'd told the man to make due, but was being a paranoid criminal really all he had to fall back on?

"You look like hell, Darek," Nathan said finally after a lengthy silence.

"That's what happens when you have to sleep with one eye open Commodore. Something I should be accustom to doing in my line of work," Darek replied falling into a easy at ease stance. "Didn't expect you to be back this soon, sir," He added, wondering if the Commodore would throw him a bone.

"Not exactly how I wanted to make it to this neck of the woods," the old man grumbled, "But we'll have time to talk about that later. You still want to come home?"

"That's why I'm here, sir," Darek replied slow, "The Arizona is home, the only place left I can call home."

"Then get your shit and meet me on the Arizona in an hour," Nathan said before turning and heading back to his ship.

"I have everything I own on me Commodore. I'm ready now." He replied as he moved to follow the old man.

Nathan looked back at the man, "Makes things convenient then. Let's get going then."

"Aye Sir." Darek replied and feel in behind the Commodore, he had a million and one questions as to why the old man was allowing him to come home, but for now he could wait.