Commander Wil Ukinix - This Is Your Life

[Wil Ukinix]

(((Betazoid Bob’s Used Yacht Emporium - A few minutes later))

 

Bobded: I’m just protecting my shop from the storm. I’ll be finishing up the cladding soon.

 

It seemed Graak Bobded valued his shop more than his life, ignoring the order to evacuate the Outpost.

 

Ukinix: ::Shaking head: For Four’s sake, are you serious? You should be long gone by now. The Indy’s probably left, as has every other person with a brain.

 

That didn’t seem to phase Graak though. He picked up a piece of cladding.

 

Bobded: Well you know! I must protect my investments! You understand, right?

 

Ukinix: No I don’t, actually, what I understand, as per the evacuation orders that were broadcast, is that everyone had to protect their *lives*. That includes you, Mister Bobded, because if you don’t, and the storm is bad, you might have to rename yourself to just plain old “Mister Ded”.

 

The Betazoid let out a huge sigh.

 

Bobded: This is my life.

 

There was that, and it did tug at Wil’s heart strings a little. But the rest of him knew they had much bigger fish to fry.

 

Ukinix: Sorry mate, we don’t have time for this. You hanging around has put my skeleton crew at serious risk, this is a complication that we don’t have time to deal with. You’re not going to have time to finish that cladding.

 

Bobded: I poured what I could into this. It’s this and Olivia and only one of those is safe right now.

 

Ukinix: ::Annoyed, holding up palms:: I will make sure Ops assists with any repairs to your shop should it get damaged. But for now, I need to get you away from here. So, are you coming with me, or am I going to have to do this by force?

 

Wil hovered his hand over his combadge, ready to make the order to beam him and Graak out to a safe location on Amity, with Graak locked up in the Habitat Ring if necessary, so that Wil could get on with his job.

 

Bobded: Wait. Please! We can work something out!

 

Ukinix: ::Crossing arms:: Well, I’m either going to have to lock you up, or you’re going to have to help us. You’re a vessel vendor, do you service those things? Have any sort of technical expertise?

 

Bobded: Yes. Absolutely. I still service most of them myself with Olivia.

 

After pondering for a moment, Wil approached the man.

 

Ukinix: Tilt your head?

 

Will pressed one of the hypos given to him by Ikaia against Graak’s neck, and then pressed the button that made it go “hiss”. It made Graak yelp a little in surprise.

 

Ukinix: There. You’re protected. Now... tell me about your technical background. You’ve got ten seconds.

 

Bobded: The elevator pitch, huh? Well, I’ve been building and rebuilding ships and yachts since I was seven and racing for almost as long. I also did a tour of service with a Drookmani scavenger ship as one of their engineers.

 

Wil tucked his tongue into his cheek and nodded, but decided to test him further.

 

Ukinix: OK. But Amity is not a racing ship, nor a scavenger ship.

 

Bobded: Have you ever serviced a scavenger ship? Or try to make heads or tails of a Pakled clumpship? I have. And I hope that’s good enough for your needs.

 

It said to Wil that Mister Bobded could think on the fly.

 

He and Graak looked up when some creaking echoed through the unusually quite Merchant district. The storm was getting closer.

 

Bobded: That’s not going to wait for us. That’s not the sound of the wavefront just yet. But it’s getting here and it won’t be long before it shows up.

 

He flicked a glance at the commander.

 

Bobded: Call it a solid hunch.

 

Wil chewed his bottom lip again, arms still crossed.

 

Ukinix: Alright. Since you’ve left it too late to evacuate, you can join the skeleton crew as an engineering assistant. Head to the Beijing district, follow the noise, and report to Commander Lael Rosek-Skyfire. Follow her orders, and anyone in a uniform for that matter. We’re setting up a temporary Ops there.

 

An extra pair of hands would lighten the load, even if Graak didn’t have the training of the Starfleet officers that he would be helping out.

 

Bobded: Response

 

Ukinix: You’re going to have to work your butt off, Mister Bobded.

 

Bobded: Response

 

Ukinix: ::Gesturing with head towards Beijing district:: Go on, go, before the artificial ::looking up:: sun and weather systems are turned off and most of the Ring is plunged into darkness.

 

Bobded: Response

 

As Graak left, Wil looked at the remaining part of the shop that needed cladding. He closed his eyes.

 

oO “This is my life.” Oo

 

Starfleet was Wil’s life, if he was honest with himself. And he wouldn’t want that taken away. With a sigh, he grabbed his phaser, and picked up the next piece of cladding.

 

He didn’t have time to finish Bobded’s work properly, but phasering them together would have to do - and it would halve the time taken. It was better than nothing.

 

And he didn’t want Graak to have nothing after the storm passed Amity.

 

 

 

TBC...

 

 

 

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Commander Wil Ukinix
Starfleet attache and Commanding Officer
Amity Outpost
V239511WU0