1
Marr and Luna watched Dukk as the server led him back up the stairs.
From where they sat, they could just see him settling into a table in the corner.
“He is cute,” Luna commented, breaking the silence that had prevailed since the interviews.
“He is.”
Luna turned her head to look at Marr. Luna was taken aback by the uncharacteristic comment.
“Interesting! Are you laying a claim, Marr?” Luna added cheekily.
Marr allowed the slightest smile as she ignored Luna and watched Dukk interacting with his comms.
Simultaneously, Marr and Luna’s comms sounded as a new message arrived.
It was a message from Dukk. He was letting them know they were on the crew.
The message included a list of items they needed to get. It also included the approximate time they were to be ready. And the message included the rig codes they would need to change their designations.
“Dinatha! It has a nice ring to it,” Marr shared casually as she absorbed the details in the message.
“He is way too efficient for my liking. He is all yours,” Luna added.
“Time for a drink,” Marr concluded.
“Absolutely, best make the most of our last night on this rock!” Luna announced as she signalled a server.
Dukk was struggling to concentrate. And it wasn’t just the tiredness and events of the last fourteen hours.
He had noticed the two new crew, Marr, and Luna, tracking his path from the bar to Wallace’s table.
He had noticed them chatting and doing their best not to look in his direction.
And he had noticed a brief and slight smile from Marr just as he pressed send on his messages to them.
An alert on his comms snapped him back to attention.
It was a message from Mentor accepting his crew offer. Messages from Marr and Luna followed shortly after.
Dukk looked back at the two again. They were ordering drinks. For a moment he thought about joining them.
“I could definitely do with a few more drinks,” Dukk muttered to himself.
“All in good time,” he concluded.
Instead, he waved the server over and ordered some food. It had just occurred to him that he hadn’t eaten since last night.