The Alcatraz depot lounge and pub

[Doria]

Yeah, that was the day. After so much time, Crazy Lou would play his guitar again. He was a little uneasy. So many years have passed. But he still remembered all the details and nuances of every song he wrote before and during prison. He finishes rolling up a smoke for himself, lights it up, takes a deep puff and holds the air a little, then releases a dense cloud, kinda blue against his dorm wall. "Whoooo, this Baffin weed is realy something!" he thinks, while picks up his guitar - an ancient instrument, dating back to Sol, but almost haven't changed during all those years. He leaves the room in the direction of the Lounge'n Pub Bar.

When Lou enters the room, some people look at him, most don't. There are a few rogues about, and a strange fella on the corner. "Hmmm, pilots clothing." He sits on the other corner, next to the bar, turns the guitar on, checks the tunning of the strings. He puts down his spliff into an ashtray. "Good old Lou Reed is back!" he thinks with himself and, whitout any warning, starts playing a song he wrote during his stay in Huntsville.

Lou Reed: 'Beginning of a Great Adventure'

As he is playing and singing, he enters another dimension. A dimension where the old Lewis Reed is still alive, kinda happy, not the grumpy old man he is now. When he finishes, he slowly comes back to reality as he opens his eyes. Lou looks around. One drunkard rogue is applauding the song, the rest doesn't even seem to have noticed it. The stranger at the corner nods at Lou's direction, in a compliment.

Lou puts down his guitar, picks up his spliff, lights it up again, takes another smoke, approaches the bar and asks the bartender there: "Hey Sam!" - he calls all bartenders Sam - "Tell me, who is that strange fella over there at the corner?"

"Some Outcast..." the bartender answers. "He was looking for Mr. James and Mr. Ryvar. Says his name is Volkman or something..."

"Venkman!" Lou remembers quite well the Outcast of the 101st squadron who helped escort Jesse and himself in the last slave/cardie run to Malta and back. "I'm gonna talk to him then... What's he drinking?"

"Liberty Ale... and water!"

"Gimme a Scotch and another ale for our friend over there..."

Lou holds his cigarrete on his lips while he picks up both drinks, walks across the bar to where the Outcast is seated, and asks, the spliff waving up and down while he talks: "Señor Venkman, isn't it? I'm Crazy Lou. I am the pilot of that P-Transport you helped escort on the way back from Malta, the Gunboat Diplomacy, remember? May I sit down?" He puts the drinks on the table, then pulls up the chair and sits. "Is nice to meet you in person! May I ask what brings you here?"

---

[Venkman]

Apollo was sitting in the corner and sipping his Liberty ale and Water......

Apollo even forgot who is he waiting there, Apollo stared at one man that played guitar, he was playing that guitar so well that Apollo almost cried even he was emotionaly "cool" on surface.
Soon after the play was over, Apollo watched every step of that guy...... then he saw that was looking at him and talking with the bartender...... but he didn't know what was happening. When...... that guy approached to Apollo and asked him if he can sit next to Apollo.
Si amigo, sit...... It turned out that that guy was a captain of the Pirate Transport that was Apollo escorting from Alpha to Liberty space. Oh... so you are ''Gunboat Diplomacy'' well it is nice to meet you amigo. While Apollo was sipping his ale Lou asked Apollo "what brings you here?" Apollo scratched him head and said Well amigo, it's quite a long story... then Lou interrupted Apollo "well my friend, we certainly have time...." If you say so amigo. Well 8 Months ago i had an accident in California system where i was heavily damaged and injured. I would be dead if Rogue patrol didn't came and tractored my escape pod.
There were 3 Rogue pilots and they moved me to Alcatraz's ambulance. After some time when i came to myself i asked one doctor for the names of those Rogues, but he said that he cannot give me that information because following Rogues wanted that to be a secret.
Finally i was back on my feet, i payed for the repairs and care and took of from Alcatraz.
While i was flying i said to myself that i will never come back to Liberty.

Few months later, you guys showed up with those Slaves and i offered you my escort without thinking...... you now ask yourself now why am i goin' to Liberty when i said that i will never go back there.....?
Well i simply had to get over my fear..... you understand amigo? I had to.
And here i am now sitting with you in LIBERTY.
Apollo then finished his little story..... Lou then said that he must go and get another drink.... will he come back?

---

Orex Armaments

[Doria]

Very unusual this fella Apollo. Lou had never seen an Outcast quite like him. Then again, he had never been to Malta before he joined the Rogues, but even so he usually crossed the Maltese on the Freeports around Sirius in his times before prison. But that was more than 20 years before now. The pilot before him must've been only a niño then. Maybe new generations of Maltese are more influenced by other Houses cultures. All this was crossing Crazy Lou's mind while he listened to Apollo describe his rescue in California space and his recovery on Alcatraz Medical.

While Apollo was finishing his story, Lou was finishing his smoke and his drink.

"Wait, amigo... I'll go get another drink for myself. Do you want another Ale?"

"Claro... Why not?"

"Ok then..." Lou walks to the bar. "Sam! Send a message to James and Ryvar saying Señor Apollo Venkman of the 101st Squadron is here looking for his Rogue friends..." He turns back to look at Venkman. The man sitted there looked cool on the outside, but have admitted to be facing his fears. It takes a brave man to face his fears, and an even braver man to openly admit it. "Oh, and Sam! Give me another scotch and another ale..."

A few moments later, the bartender returns with the drinks. "Message sent, sir. None of the two replied to the comms, but they will receive the message the moment they log on our neural net..."

"Thanks..." Lou grabs the drinks and starts walking back to the table. Then stops, turns around and says to the bartender: "And, Sam!" The bartender looks at him. "Yes, sir?" "Don't call me sir, please. That is for those navy @%$#%@#... My name is Lou."

He then sits back at Venkman's table. "Here is your Ale..."

"Thanks, amigo..."

"I've asked the bartender to send messages for James and Ryvar. They will soon answer."

"Well, muchas gracias for that." Venkman was very polite, while most Rogues and Outcasts are not.

"Well... I'm glad you can face that 'trauma' of yours with no problems... Your escort was very welcomed that day. Some times I have the impression that the Maltese accept us in Alpha just because we are vital for the Cardamine market in Liberty, but in reality most don't like us."

Lou looks at his spliff on the ashtray. Almost nothing left. He then pulls a little plastic bag from his pocket. "And I love the Sabre! Man, that's a good ship, never gets old... I had one like... almost 30 years ago. I called it 'Sally'. She was my personal ship. I ventured a lot on the Border Worlds, you know? Well, that was before Freeport Seven..." He opens the bag, takes a little amount of synth mary and puts it on a rolling paper. "But you sure are not here just to face your fears. There must be something else..." He rolls the joint carefully, licks the border of the paper, finishes rolling it, puts it on his lips. "Anyway, we could always use a Maltese escort in our runs, it would facilitate things a lot... We are always having trouble with those Colonial guys. They even wrecked James' last train. I know you don't like them either..." Lou grabs a lighter on his pocket. "But I guess that's not why you are here either..." Lights his cigarrete up. "Do you mind if I smoke?"

---

[Venkman]

No, i don't mind amigo.... can you roll one for me amigo? Of course my friend. Lou opened his bag and took paper and S. M. When the process was finished he gave that joint to Apollo. Thanks amigo..... so do you know where are amigos James and Ryvar? I would like to meet them in person 'cause i never had a chance to have a drink with them. All we done was few escorts and neither of us had time to rest.
Well..... i told the bartender to send a message to Ryvar and James, i hope they will read the message soon.
Lou and Apollo started to smoke those joints and few minutes after they were in a better mood than earlier. Lou then called the bartender and told him to get another round of Ale, Scotch and fresh water for Apollo. Apollo confirmed that and asked him if he can get him a cardamine pill.
What is cardamine pill Apollo? Oh... it's something that is new on market it is my creation. You take one pill and you can fly from Alpha all the way to...... well Liberty or maybe further.

The bartender brought them everything what they asked for along with that "Cardamine pill". Oh... excuse me amigo.... bathroom where is it? Err..... you see that man over there *pionts at one man near the bar" and you see that door there.... there you need to go. Oh amigo... this S.M. is strong i can tell you.... ok that door there ok...
Apollo took that pill in the bathroom and finished "nature's'' job. After that he washed his face and went to Lou. They were both silent, the effect of the S.M. started to work..........

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Orex Armaments