Into The Blue: Mysteries

Article by Bria

... in which Eagle is surprised, Polson is very grouchy, and something is apparently going on.

*****
He eventually found Hobbie in the last place that anyone would have suspected: his office. The pilot-turned-Supreme-Chancellor was sitting at his desk and actually looked like he was doing work. He looked up when Eagle entered and frowned, looking confused.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Hmm?" Eagle realised that his mouth was hanging open and quickly shut it. "Ah, nothing. Are you all right?"

"Fine," Hobbie said, still looking at Eagle suspiciously. The same suspicion was probably evident on his own face, Eagle figured. Hobbie Klivian was doing what looked like work, in his office, and it wasn't even Christmas or any other time when there were relatives to be avoided. There had to be something wrong.

"Right," Eagle said. He remembered why he had come, and grinned. He sat down in front of the desk and looked at Hobbie. "Got something for you."

Hobbie raised his eyebrows. "Oh yes?"

Eagle handed him the datacard with a flourish. "'s on there."

"Huh." The pilot took the card and inserted it into his datapad. Brin climbed out of Eagle's hoodie and wandered over to Hobbie, inspecting his hands and the paperwork cluttering the surface of the desk.

When she started eating the budget draft, Hobbie tried to shoo her away. "Seriously, Eagle," he said. "Did you have to name her after Bria and Mezoti? I think she's channelling both of them and I'm the favourite victim!"

Eagle just laughed.

Moments later, the data had appeared on Hobbie's screen and his eyes widened. "What's this all about?"

"Remember the X-Wings I owe you guys?" Eagle grinned.

"This isn't X-Wings!" Hobbie exclaimed. "It's –"

"Yep," Eagle said. "But it's all legit." He indicated the small case he was holding.

"Are you serious?" Hobbie demanded.

Eagle only nodded.

Hobbie's face broke into a grin. "This should be good. We need to do something with this."

"I quite agree," Eagle said, saving Hobbie's papers from Brin and keeping hold of the kitten.

"Come on," Hobbie said. He stood up, his work forgotten. "Let's find Bria."

***
Finding Bria was far easier than finding Hobbie, especially when she was angry. You just followed the shouting.

And then you waited until it had died down before you actually went to see her. Unless you were Hobbie and Eagle, in which case you knocked on her door anyway.

"What?" Bria snapped. The door swooshed open. "Oh, it's you. Come on in."

Her quarters were a study in chaos – and islands of aesthetic pleasure where the chaos hadn't reached. Mostly, that was the walls.

Eagle shook his head. "No, we need to show you something."

"Hmm?" she said. "What?"

"Something," Hobbie said. He moved to tug at her arm, remembered the shouting, and thought better of it. "You'll like it."

"Y'know," Bria said thoughtfully, "you'll forgive me if "we need to show you something" coming from Eagle and Hobbie doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. Especially not if they claim that I'll like it."

"You liked the kitten, didn't you?" Eagle challenged.

"Oh, yeah. Fine. Once."

"Let's make it twice," Hobbie offered. He grinned. "Or are you scared?"

"Pfft," she said irritably. "All right then."

Eagle and Hobbie exchanged a glance and a smirk, and Eagle led the way down to the docking bay.

***
"I'm bored," SG complained. He sat near the bar, idly swivelling on his chair, a pouty look on his face. "Boooored!"

No one said anything. Polson coughed. Shadow drummed his fingers on the table. Wedge exhaled noisily. SG seemed to grow annoyed with the lack of response.

"Bored!" He said it louder that time. "Lads! I'm bored!"

"We heard you the first time!" Shadow shot back.

"Well, do something! I need help here!"

"Too late for you," Polson commented, made more irritable than usual by the boredom, and the fact that she shared said boredom with SG.

SG shot her a hurt look. "Your words, they wound me!"

The door to the Cantina slid open, and someone stood outline against the light outside, posing heroically. Polson sighed.

"Did someone call for help?" a masculine voice called.

SG shot to his feet. "Wow! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a cardboard cutout of Boba Fett? No! It's Majin Kaze!"

"ShutupSGyou'reonlygoingtoencouragehimagain," Polson muttered under her breath. She didn't even gasp for breath afterwards, despite firing a sentence out in form of one word, which filled her with pride. A pride which was multiplied when she noticed that the others seemed quite impressed.

"Yes, it's me!" Majin called, ruining her moment. "Did someone call me?"

Shadow jerked a thumb at SG. "He said he needs help. Says he's bored. Can't save him from boredom, can you?"

Majin had taken a few steps towards them by now, and looked crestfallen. "Save him from boredom? Here? I'm not that good."

"Any ideas what we could do?" SG pleaded.

Majin shrugged. Then he asked, "Where's Iain?"

"Busy." SG made the word sound like he was referring to a particularly distasteful insect.

"Hobbie?"

"Working." That one sounded like a whole hive of distasteful insects.

Majin looked put out. "Ewww."

"Yeah."

"Well, where's everyone else? The place is dead!" There were nods all around.

"Heard Bria yelling at someone earlier," Wedge offered. "That's about it, though."

From outside the Cantina – Majin had forgotten to close the door, which in Polson's grouchy opinion was typical – came the sound of footsteps. They seemed to be running. And coming closer. Seconds later, Lzrman burst into the Cantina, meeting frowns all around.

"Guys!" he called, even though he was right in front of his audience. His voice seemed to be tripping over in excitement. "You have to come see this!"

"See what?" Polson asked, grouchily observing that Lzrman hadn't closed the door either.

"Just come on!"

"Ah, come on, guys," Majin said. "Might as well have a look. Gotta be better than just sitting around here."

"True," Shadow said. "Would have to be really lame to be even more boring than this."

SG tugged at Polson's arm, and they followed Lzrman down along the corridors of the outpost. Her mood improved slightly as they walked, and she felt a small twinge of excitement inside, despite herself.

*****
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