I Want Candy!

Posted on Fri Oct 26th, 2018 @ 6:08am by Commander Abigail Prescott & Captain M'Mira & Candy Templeton
Edited on on Mon Mar 11th, 2019 @ 2:21pm

1,965 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 2: Into The Breach
Location: Flight Control
Timeline: MD02 - 2000

Federation News Station ship "Investigator," came within range of Faltan Station. It hailed Faltan Station.

Mint nodded to the person manning the comms console and they input a few commands to open a channel to the ship. Greetings Investigator and welcome to Faltan Station," she said professionally, hating this part of her job.

Once the welcoming hail was accepted, the screen came on. Instead of showing a serene scene and one pilot who merely wanted to discuss docking procedures, the background looked like a scene from a 70s disco dance floor. Dots of all shades and colors streamed across the screen, including the pilot's face. Music was blaring, while the pilot told Mint, "Please give us instructions for docking."

The cacophony of music and lights continued as a woman danced wildly across the screen. Her long blonde hair flowed to and fro, obscuring her face for the moment. Suddenly, the refrain came on and she sang as loudly as the music, "I WANT CANDY! I WANT CANDY!" as her face came into view. Objectively, the woman was beautiful. The long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, falling into place naturally, as if to act wildly would be an affront to her face. She had a nearly perfect hourglass figure. However, what drew a person in was her dark brown eyes that had a certain, "come hither," look.

Facing the screen, she saw Mint on the other end and in a effervescent voice asked, "Abby?! Is that really you?!"

As soon as she heard the music, Mint groaned and brought her hands up to her face. "Why..." she muttered aloud just before the blonde woman began singing. She cringed and tried to turn away from the screen, but heard her old nickname being called by a very familiar voice. "Candy," she said flatly. "What a surprise..."

"I know, right?!" she bubbled. "I mean, here, I get invited to do some reporting on the station and who's the first person I see?" She tittered absently. "I mean, what a coincidence, right?! Oh, it is so good to see you again!"

“Is this the Federation News Service ship we’ve been told to expect?” Refelian asked as he stepped out of his office and looked at the viewscreen.

"Unfortunately," Mint said to Refelian, frowning at him. Now she had a whole lot more to discuss with him than originally planned. "Captain, this is the Investigator, and our FNS reporter is Candy Templeton," she said the name with barely disguised disgust. She then turned to the person at comms again. "Give them landing instructions, and alert Commander M'Mira that she has her first guest to accommodate." Turning back to the view screen, Mint frowned at the woman grinning at her. "Welcome to Faltan, Miss Templeton."

"Oh, Abby, thank you so much!" she enthused. "I cannot wait to catch up with you! Why don't you meet me at the docking port? I would, SOOOOOOOO love to see you again!" The refrain of the music came back with Bow Wow Wow, singing, "I WANT CANDY!" and Candy dancing wildly back off to port.

The pilot simply replied, "Landing instructions received. Investigator out."

Mint looked at Refelian and frowned. "I despise that woman..." she muttered before heading for the door. She was planning on not going to the landing site, instead she was going to hide in her office.

“You know her?” Refelian asked.

"Unfortunately," Mint grumbled. "I'll explain later, but for now," she moved closer to Refelian so she could talk quietly. "I know her from my Academy days, and she's not someone I want to see again."

“I look forward to hearing about her later.” Harry said with a nod. “Shall we head to the hangar bay and welcome her aboard?”

"Do I have to?" Mint pouted at him. "I don't really want to see her face to face," she admitted with a sigh, knowing that she would have to explain the full story to Harry later.

Hangar Bay

M'Mira rushed into the hangar bay. When the Captain and the Commander got there, she apologized, "I did not think anyone else would be here until tomorrow. Do I look presentable?"

“You look fine, Commander. This is the Federation News Service correspondent arriving. It’s an old friend of Commander Prescott’s.” Harry said with a smirk.

Grumbling about being dragged down there, Mint scowled at Harry when he made the comment of it being an old friend of hers. "Enemy not friend," she said under her breath.

The Captain could help but let out a small chuckle as the ships hatch opened up. “Here we go, play nicely.” He said before stepping forward. “Captain Horatio Refelian, welcome to Faltan Station.”

Before Candy would step out, M’Mira asked, “Freeenemy?”

Any further thoughts were cut off as Candy stepped out of the hatch. Music was still blaring as she danced out. She seemed oblivious to the change in environment until she got within several feet of the Captain. The blonde haired woman, threw her hair back and it settled easily behind her. She looked at the Captain with large brown puppy dog eyes, stuck out her hand and said with a nearly far away voice, “Captain, what a pleasure to meet you! I have read so much about you and I must say that I am entirely fascinated by you.”

She then gave a polite, childish wave at her shoulder to Mint. “I can’t believe it really is you, Abby!” Her voice was bubbly and excited. Then in the tone of someone who has not seen her best friend in years, she continued, “We really need to catch up!”

Finally, she turned to M’Mira, inspected her up and down and said, “You must have the men beating down your doors! You have such a sense of style! Those nails and designs are just amazing, though, have you ever thought of a shade of green? It might pull out your eyes even more.”

M’Mira was left nearly speechless, having been flattered so. “Thank you! Though, Mint gave me the designs,” she replied beaming at her best friend.

Mint had been scowling as Candy danced off the ship, but as she drew closer, the smell of her perfume made Mint's head swim. Nausea set in almost instantly and she felt her stomach roiling. Trying her hardest not to gag, she took a slight step back and started breathing through her mouth. "Don't call me Abby," she said finally, "It's Commander Prescott or Abigail. Please," she added the last word hastily, Harry's comment to 'play nice' echoing in her head. She crossed her arms over her stomach, hoping a bit of pressure would help with her stomach flipping.

“It’s a pleasure to have you here, Miss Templeton. How long will you be staying with us?” Harry said with a pleasant smile.

Not missing the Commander crossing her arms over her stomach, Candy considered the reasons for such a reaction and tried to formulate the best way to get information. First she asked M’Mira, “Who is this Mint? I must meet her. I would like her designs, as well.”

M’Mira answered proudly, “Commanderrr Prrrescott, of course!”

Candy mused at that and took on her absent minded blonde modus operandi. “Oh, silly me! That makes so much sense, now!” She then turned to Mint and said, “Abigail will work. Old habits from back in the day die hard. You went by Abby then. Of course, Mint suits you, too.” Her tone turned inquisitive rather than concerned. “Though, right now you are looking a bit more Forest Green than Minty. Do you need a doctor?”

Turning to the Captain, Candy simply answered, “I never know how long that I am to be anywhere.” She waved her hand in the air nonchalantly. “You know how these things go. I appear where and when news happens.”

Mint rolled her eyes. "My nickname's been Mint since I was fourteen. Also, you were the only one to call me Abby 'back in the day', everyone else called me Mint or Prescott," she shook her head. "And no, I don't need a doctor." She was trying hard to keep her tone civil, but the past still made her see red when this woman was around.

Candy tilted her head to one side then the other and said in apparent surprise. "Huh! And all this time I thought people called you Abby." She shrugged and said, "What can I say? Blonde moment, right?!" She beamed at Mint. "We really should take some time to catch up!"

"I don't think my schedule will allow it," Mint refrained from rolling her eyes this time. She side eye glanced at Harry before adding, "But we shall see."

Harry resisted the urge to smile, instead he changed the subject. “Do you have a list of people you’d like to talk to? I’m guessing your here to cover the grand opening ceremony of this delightful station?”

"A list?" Candy asked absent mindedly. "No list," she said wrinkling a lip upwards and scrunching her nose. "I mean, of course, I will want to talk to you and your command staff." She put her hands on her hips and then moved her right hip upward, as if using her whole body to think. She then stuck her right index finger in the air, as if having an epiphany and said, "Probably some ambassadors and chiefs of staff." Her hand came back down and she shifted to a comfortable position and shrugged. "Whatever strikes my fancy."

“You’re here for a while then?” Harry asked.

"Quite possibly," Candy replied with a ditzy shrug and an excited eyebrow raise. "I go wherever news is. You know how it is?"

“Yes, I suppose we’re hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons lately.” Refelian said flatly.

That is all a matter of perspective. Again, she shrugged. "Well, whatever the case may be, I'm here. Perhaps I could be shown to my quarters and you can let all those people I listed know that I probably will want to talk to them, right?" Was there a flutter of her eye lashes or did she just blink twice rapidly? There was no clear answer on Candy's face.

“Of course. Commander M’Mira will show you to your quarters. I hope you enjoy your stay on Faltan.” Said Harry with a warm smile.

"If I may," she turned to Harry, "I need to return to flight control. We have several supply ships yet to come in and they're due in soon, I'd like to be there in case any Captains give us trouble."

"Of course! Of course!" Candy said. "Things to do. I totally get it! I'm sure that I will be in wonderful hands with Commander M'Mira and she can tell me all about those wonderful designs that Abigail picked out for her. Please, please. Work. I'll talk to you all when I can and you can and we all can. Let's do a can can!" she said laughing vibrantly at herself.

Harry smiled at her energy. “See you later.” He said before turning and joining Mint in the return to Command and Control. “Well, she’s lively.” Harry commented as they walked away.

"We should funnel that energy," Mint said sarcastically. "I'm sure she could survive having three quarters of it drained off..."

“Come. Tell me more of Miss Templeton, I want to know what I’m facing.” Refelian said as he lead the way to his penthouse.

"I'm not really sure I want to tell you all of it," Mint frowned, following him. "But, if it will help you understand my... dislike... of the woman, I guess I'll have to."

 

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