Return to the Magellan- daydream part three

Read Part One- Surrounded
Read Part Two- The deal

The three followed Mad Dog to the Dragon’s transporter room with the pirate’s security team hot on their heels the whole way. The Federation officers, expecting to be sent back promptly, were surprised when Mad Dog suddenly froze on the threshold and turned.

“Oh. There was one small matter I forgot to mention in the meeting. I’ll be keeping one of you here as a hostage. Just in case you’re tempted to go back on our deal.” The smug expression came over his face, but this time he did not smile.

Admiral Djurich, Captain Springer and the lieutenant commander all stiffened.

“I will not ‘go back on’ my word,” Djurich responded tartly. “You will allow all the members of my party to return to the Magellan. There is no need to take a hostage.”

Flatly ignoring her, Mad Dog made a show of looking the three of them over, as if to choose who to keep behind. “Admiral. I choose you. You will be my guest on the Dragon while the good captain and his security chief ready the shipment from the Magellan.”

“Absolutely not!” Captain Springer started to say, but Djurich cut him off.

“You already hold the lives of my entire crew in your hands, Captain. There is no need for anyone to stay here.”

Mad Dog took a half step closer, tantalizing them with his cold glare. “Maybe I want a closer hostage.”

A part of Djurich went cold, but she stared right at the pirate captain with a frosty look of her own. “That is not acceptable. If you insist on this extravagance, there will be no deal.” Djurich held Mad Dog’s gaze for a moment before going on. “Be reasonable. If you destroy the Magellan, you destroy the warp cores. Of course, you can just wait for another ship to happen along, but that could take hours. Even days. Considering the nature of the shipment you arranged for, one could assume you’re having engine trouble. You would be stuck.”

For a moment, Mad Dog was speechless with anger. Captain Springer and Lt. Cmdr. Springer, sensing trouble, immediately took steps to guard the admiral from the front and back. The captain took the front. K. Springer turned to keep an eye on the security men behind them.

“‘One could assume,’” Mad Dog repeated softly, mockingly. “You would be dead.”

“Yes,” Admiral Djurich agreed calmly. “But what use would we be to you then?”

A gleam lit Mad Dog’s eye. “It would guarantee other ships-”

“Would come here, to investigate our destruction,” Djurich parroted his words from the meeting. “Is that what you were going to say?” She moved on before he had a chance to answer. “Think about it. If Starfleet got word that an entire space station had been destroyed, they wouldn’t send just one ship to investigate- and they’ll be on their guard. It will be ten times harder to manipulate any investigating ships into a deal like I’ve got with you.”

Mad Dog’s eye narrowed. He wasn’t looking smug anymore. Djurich pressed her advantage.

“You will allow all members of my party to return to the Magellan, where we will ready the shipment of warp cores for transport. Once the goods are delivered, we will have a safe pass out of here. Are we agreed?”

The pirate scowled for almost a full minute before emitting his response in the form of a low rumble. “Agreed.” He stepped aside, allowing Admiral Djurich and her officers into the transporter room at last.

Captain Springer looked at Djurich. “Admiral?”

Knowing what he wanted, she gave him a curt nod and touched the comm badge on her chest. “Admiral Djurich to Magellan. Three to beam directly aboard the bridge... Energize.”

Djurich’s last image of Mad Dog was of him staring hungrily at them as they disappeared.

Cooking woes

It was rice this time. Despite following the instructions on the bag to a T, my rice ended up too crunchy and too salty. Rice is supposed to be easy, right?

But then again, so is Jell-O. And I've messed that up before, too.

FALSE ADVERTISING!

Sigh. The good news is, Jennifer was in charge of the meat part of dinner, so at least we (she, me, and Sara) could eat that.

Puppy nostalgia

I found this video on Facebook today. It's from 2009. It saddens me to realize I can't remember what it felt like to have him sit in my lap.

Gotta love Friday

I haven't blogged in a while. Figured a post was due, even though I don't have much to say.

Cleaning checks tomorrow. (Or in other words, in about 9 hours.) Our apartment is clean. The living room is particularly impressive, given our sucky vacuum (or not sucky, depending on how you look at it).

General conference last weekend was great! Jennifer and I spent the weekend with my family in Lehi, which was a lot of fun. :) People are still talking about the 18/19 announcement. (Which reminds me, I plan to join the hordes of young women flocking to their bishops to get started on their mission papers...soon. Mom and Dad hinted the sooner the better, so they could get me some practical stuff for it this Christmas.)

Gotta love my mom and dad.

I had a fiesta today with my Spanish conversation class. Jennifer brought the taco meat and guacamole I signed up for and then forgot, and stayed to talk and eat. I'll miss that class when it's over, which is next week, since it's only a block class (half a semester).

November is novel-writing month, when many ambitious souls attempt to write an entire novel in a month. I've never participated, but I think I want to try it this year. I just need a good idea to get me started brainstorming. Any suggestions? I have a lot of half-baked stories I plan on finishing someday, but I want to try something totally new for this. Maybe I'll write a romance novel...

Ha. That was a test. If you didn't laugh, you don't know me as well as you thought you did.