Bar

Posted on Thu Sep 26th, 2024 @ 8:23pm by Kilena Keithron & Stephanie (Stephi) Hill & Jamie Bullock

1,347 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Secret of Corvus
Timeline: January 14 th 2051, 2100 Hours

Kilena could not believe that the one day she had decided to walk to and from the academy was the day that the heavens decided to open just as she got to the end of the block. Glancing around she saw the only safe space was somewhere she would not have gone so casually dressed but needs must. She glanced through the window as she saw one of her favourite bartenders, he would at least give her a towel and not mock too much.

“Joel… Joel… Help!” The pink ranger cried as she came rushing in out of the rain that was coming down in sheets outside. She wore jeans, a cardigan, a vest top and boots hardly rain weather nor was the fact she was soaked already helping as she came to the bar looking like a drowned rat. The man behind the bar just shook his head and held out a towel to her.

“Usual Kid?” He asked finding it amusing that he could call the most alien in the room that but it was the truth. He had seen her handle people who were a little too handsy. She might be training to be the law but he enjoyed the company that she brought into the place.

“Please,” She said taking a seat at the bar and turning around almost falling off the chair as she was soaked.

Stephi came in. She had an umbrella with her. She stepped in the door and shook the rain off her umbrella. "Hey Kilena! oh, you are soaked girl! Tell you what, when we're finished here, we can share my umbrella on the way out and back to base."

Kilena had not been so relieved to see anyone recently. "I think it is most likely too late for that." She admitted in all honesty as the man came back with a drink and a shot for her.

"Well, we can try. Umm looks like you have a friend. Did you want to be alone with him?"

"This friend is the barman and she is married." The friend in question said shortly putting the drink down in front of the woman watching as Kilena took the shot with a salute to him before she smiled at the pair.

"What about you two? What are you guys doing out and about?" She wondered not having seen either if them in days as she had been on a different patrol and paired up with Ellie to show her more of the ropes.

"Oh, well I'm just sort of getting the lay of the land, seeing what there is to see. Figured might as well, being the new girl and all might be a good idea to know where things are and all." Stephi said.

Kilena raised an eyebrow and nodded. She had thought the woman had been around for longer but that was not her moment to bring that up. She glanced to Jamie and offered a smile. "And you?" She wondered as the barman came back with 2 more drinks and shots. "My account please." She requested and the man just nodded. He was not going to get involved in all of that even if they were all damp.

The silent Black Ranger's eyes flicked up from his lonely contemplation, a questioning expression on his face. "No. Not much." He kept the response simple and inconsequential. A beat later, he recognised the need to break out of his stony shell and took the offered drink. "This seemed like the best place to find somewhere that wouldn't be constantly asking for ID."

"No need to ID if you are the law." Joel piped up from the bar making Kilena smile.

"Well, I am happy to see you both," Kilena assured as she indicated to the booth. Kilena smiled as they passed the alien symbols and abstract art covering the walls which always made her smile as it was Kerovian in nature and had hung in her secondary school. "So how are you both doing with the catch-up?" She knew Valdana was struggling but she had the whole galaxy know pop start issues.

"doing good. Learning something new everyday. I'm actually enjoying everything. Made a few new friends, meeting a lot of people. So far, so good. Still got a lot to learn I'm sure but that's ok." Stephi said.

"Same." Jamie nodded, brushing off the question at first, but sensing from the silence that followed that he needed to elaborate. "Still learning. Waiting. I think that's the hardest part - sitting still when there's plenty we could be doing."

Kilena nodded. She could only agree with his assessment. “It’s like chess isn’t it?” The pink ranger felt the same especially with her parents and the other archaeologists still having not been found.

"Like the night before a big game," he replied, using a metaphor he was a little more familiar with. "You can practice and train all you want, but once that first ball is snapped...you gotta rely on instinct and the rest of the team."

"Very human but yes." Kilena knew exactly what he was talking about she had spent enough time with humans now to get the references. "How are you feeling now time has settled?" She wondered knowing the Gold Ranger knew no different but Jamie did. And the universe had not brought his brother back so he had to be smarting from it all.

"Well, ok I guess. Unfortunately, things have not changed for me that I have noticed. I ..still lost my best friend and the ones responsible for her death are still free so not much different at all."

"You would not know the other timeline. You were not there when it happened." Kilena said gently thinking of what had happened to them all. "But tell us more about it all?" She offered to try to build a bridge with the gold ranger.

Stephi nodded. She wanted to talk about it. "her name was Amanda. We were best friends since kindergarden practically. We were close like sisters. Unfortunately, Amanda wanted to be one of the cool girls. The popular girls. Unfortunately, they were the rich, spoiled mean girls. it was during our senior year. They invited Amanda to a party. I knew it was a bad idea but Amanda, she couldn't see that! They never liked us and now to invite Amanda just like that? I knew it was going to be bad. Boy, II had no idea how bad. They found her the next day, or rather her body. Dead of a drug overdose. I knew Amanda didn't do drugs. I knew they had given it to her. Somehow. There were charges brought but all the rich girls got off scott free thanks to their fancy, high priced lawyers. Sometimes I miss her so much!"

Kilena looked sad for the woman. "That is sad. I am sorry that happened to you." The woman said truly feeling sorry. It was a story as old as time across the universe, the rich and powerful played with people less well off for fun.

'Thank you. I appreciate that! It's tough sometimes but I try to remember the good time we had and we did have a lot. She was like a sister to me. She will live on in my heart! forever! what happened to her inspired me to join up. I chose the gold because I feel the scales of justice must be balance. Maybe I can't do anything for amanda but I can honor her memory."

'But I can honor her memory. Jamie felt a slight pang of something when he heard that. He finished the drink in front of him. Stephi spoke about choosing the gold - but for him it felt like the other way around. Black had chosen him. "Let me pay for that," he said finally, motioning to the barkeep.

Kilena shook her head. "It is already dealt with. Let's get back." Kilena instructed not able to shake the sense of foreboding at all.

 

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