Another Prank
All the usual disclaimers: I have no money, playing for fun, credit to Lucas, Stackpole and Allston for making my life what it is.
AN: This was one of my first.
A squeak.
'Shhh!'
A scuffle.
'Hold up your end, or it’s gonna…'
'I know!'
'Well, then don’t…'
The frantic whispers stopped abruptly.
'Was that at the door?'
'Wait a sec…no. I think it came from the next room.'
'Better hurry anyway. How do you always get me involved in this stuff?'
'You thrive on it…right, keep that steady.'
A scraping sound echoed alarmingly loud through the darkened room. The current occupants froze again, waiting to make sure nothing had been heard outside. Everything seemed clear.
'Okay, just keep it steady while I attach the….' A soft grunting of effort and then, 'There. Now let’s get out of here.'
'You know, we’re really gonna get it for this one.'
'Nah. Gives him something to worry about other than datawork.' The speaker put his ear to the door, listening for any activity in the hall. 'Sounds good. Ready?' A mumble that could have as easily been ‘no’ as it was ‘yes’ was his response. He palmed the door lock and it slid open. After scurrying out of the room, two figures proceeded to saunter down the hall. The sound of a door sliding closed was the only clue as to where they had just been.
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Two hours later, in the cafeteria, a group of pilots sat discussing their latest sim runs.
'Gavin, I’m telling you, you’re going to keep getting vaped that way if you don’t…what is that?'
'The move? It’s just something new I’m trying. I really think it could be effective with some work…Corran? Corran, what are you…' Gavin turned in his seat, following the direction of the other’s gaze. 'What is that?'
'It looks like…'
'Antilles?'
By now, most of the diners had noticed its arrival. They watched as it calmly walked to the counter, filled a tray, and returned to where the group of pilots was sitting. It came up behind two pilots in particular and cleared its throat softly.
'Mind if I sit here?' The two obligingly made some room between them. Seeming to know this routine, the other diners in the cafeteria went back to their meals, stealing inconspicuous glances towards the pilots' table every so often.
As it sat down, it brushed against the pilot on the right. He tried to ignore the goop that was now running down his bare arm and continue eating, but his appetite was distracted by the sticky coolness working its way towards the floor.
It reached across the tray of the pilot on its left and grabbed a bulb of sauce sitting in the middle of the table. A thick, greenish, lumpy globule fell from its arm with a plop, landing on the pilot’s entrée. The pilot swallowed and looked at the creature sitting next to him.
'You know Wedge, you might wanna go to medbay with that. Looks pretty serious. It’s even starting to spread to your clothes. Right, Hobbs?' He glanced around his commander to the pilot on the left. Hobbie said nothing, giving him a worried look that was starting to border on panic.
'Maybe, Wes. Maybe.' Wedge Antilles began to eat his meal, ignoring the eyes that were turned on his green, gooey appearance.
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'This isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.' Wes tossed a ball into the air above his reclining body for what had to be the thousandth time. He caught it as it came down and proceeded to toss the ball again.
'Are you kidding? We’re confined to base for a month.' Hobbie gave his roommate an irritated glare before going back to the novel on his datapad. 'I’m never helping you again. Really. Never.'
'Psht. This is nothing. I mean, he could’ve made us help with bed pans in the medbay. Now that would’ve been bad. This is nothing.'
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The next month, they were doing precisely that.