Some new friends

As the bar filled with more people the waitress slipped a small paper with her number on it across the bar as she went to help service the other patrons leaving Katla alone. A few taps on the table paid her tab with a generous tip before she started roaming the room a bit, looking for what she was seeking. The Lone Spacer had a lot of overlap in clientele between dockworkers and lower enlisted, after so long hanging out with high society she was curious about the rest of Avalon. The bar had communal round tables for people wanting to be social and she got a nod of greeting as she took up one of the chairs. There were 7 others around the table four of them clearly dockworkers while the other three were military, distinguishable by the name and service tags on their work suits.

"... still haven't given us a real mission." One of the three across the table from Katla was grumbling, her name tape on her military work suit identifying her as 'Alabe'. "The captain keeps finding new random bullshit that 'needs fixing' despite not even bothering to look through the cams at it."

"A peer of the realm trying to avoid putting her ass on the line? Say it ain't so!" A dockworker to Katla's left chimed in getting laughs from around the table.

"You're better off staying in the yard than going out under that bitch. I'd hate to see you wind up on Wartube like those girls at Jenta." One of the other dockworkers opposite Katla said.

"Is it bad?" The dock worker two seats to the right of Katla asked, there seemed to be something underlying the question but Katla wasn't entirely sure what.

"I checked for Linda's name on the casualty log and didn't see it." Ah, they knew someone who was there."But most of a platoon got creamed in an ambush recently. It's not looking too good."

"I don't think it's a long one even if she does get got. Jenta is a pretty minor base. The only reason the Feds even went for it was that we were thinking of mothballing it before the build-up." One of the other sailors whose nametape said 'Sims' said.

"Not everyone wants a video of their girlfriend getting plowed all over the net Sims." Alabe said

"Just saying, it comes with the territory." Sims shrugged, "With any luck though she'll be coming back with a Fed gal you can share for a bit."

"Sims." Alabe said

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Haven't seen you around before." The last military woman, 'Casey' according to the name tape said, bringing Katla into the conversation. The others glad for the distraction from the slightly contentious discussion.

"First time really getting out. I got hired out here from Asgard." Katla explained

"Oh yeah, how are you liking it so far?" Casey asked

"So far so good, it's been a lot to get used to but no real complaints," Katla said with a shrug.

"Civilian sector or military contracts?" The dockworker to her left asked.

"Military, they wanted me for my skillset. We use a lot of similar classes in the raider groups." Katla explained

"That would explain the ones they let enlist, they try to get you to do that?" Alabe asked

"No, I think they like me where I'm at. I couldn't do as much if I enlisted. No offense." Katla said

"None taken, to be honest before all this kicked off I was about to get out myself and work with June here," Alabe said, indicating the dockworker whose lover was deployed. "But I couldn't leave when we were finally getting a chance to do what I signed up for. Even if my fucking Captain doesn't feel like doing it quite yet."

The conversation then moved on to less consequential things, local sports teams that Katla had never heard of, complaints about various coworkers, the latest season of a dating show, and who the star was going to pick in the finale. Katla learned a bit more about them as the night went on.

June and Alabe were old childhood friends, the rest of the dockworkers, London, Mickey, and Brit worked for one of the Houten subsidiaries. Casey was a weapons specialist on a battlecruiser and Sims was a quartermaster's assistant for a light carrier. In a lull in the conversation, London spoke up clearly having worked herself up to it judging by the number of drinks she'd had come by.

"I'm enlisting." She announced.

"Really?" Brit asked, "Are you sure you're not just drunk?"

"Already been talking with the recruiter. I've got the quals for expedited." London continued, pulling out her communicator and showing it off to her doubtful companion.

"Welcome to the fleet," Sims said with a smile, "Just make sure you get that shit in writing on your contract. Don't let them BS you about adding it later otherwise they'll have you in for the full course."

"What made you decide to go and do that?" Alabe asked

"The Queen-"

"Hang on a moment. Is this about Ava?" Mickey chimed in, for a moment Katla thought she was talking about the one from her fleet who'd been captured but then she remembered how common the name was.

"No!" London protested, indicating that it was, in fact, about Ava. "She's got nothing to do with it."

"Sure, you just happen to be signing up for the fleet a week after she broke up with you for a sailor. Totally unrelated." Mickey said

"Mickey." Alabe said in a familiar tone.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." Mickey mimed zipping her lips in response. "We'll be glad to have you." Alabe continued.

"Thanks." London said, giving Mickey a glare that only seemed to amuse the other woman. "I'm nervous but excited. Especially with all the prizes out there."

"Depends on who you get posted with on that front." Sims said, "Might end up a port queen like Alabe here."

"Someone really needs to just write a letter about that one to the admiralty board." Casey said

"As if they'd care if it wasn't from a fucking peer." Brit said with an eyeroll, "They really need to do the same thing to the fleet they did to the army."

"We're talking about realistic options here." Mickey chastised. "Besides they really might look, even if its just to see if the yard is being really sloppy with repairs."

"I mean, that could be it... they're hiring some foreginers and- oh shit sorry." Brit said, remembering Katla was there.

"I could write up a letter to the admiralty if you like," Katla said, ignoring the insult. She'd taken a moment to search up the details while the others talked and the ship had definitely been in drydock for far longer than it should have been.

"I appreciate it but, well, they're a bit elitist up there. I doubt they'd listen to you if they wouldn't listen to us." Alabe said.

"Strange Commodore." Jaclyn said at her terminal, still practically glowing after her return from her leave.

"What's that?" Katla asked.

"The Captain of the Hylander has just been reassigned. She'd only been in that posting for a year."

"Huh, strange." Katla agreed