Captain Lon Jackson,
SS Spade-ICC-5897.
Eurida Prime/Consortium.
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Lon exited the airlock and stepped into the pristen surroundings that was SB297. It had been nearly six months since he had last been there and things hadn't changed all that much.  The Tattoo Parlour was in full swing as it had been the last time he had visited the Base.

Lon felt his arm and smiled the skull and cross bones tat he'd gotten his last visit had awed his son but his wife had been appalled.

Jackson stopped by the DockMasters office had made arrangements to have the Consortiums Medical supplies loaded. He wouldn't be able to stay this time around. He had a shcedule to keep if he wanted the latinum bonus the El'Aurian had promised him.

The isodesium power cells were in wide demand especially of the colony world called Chandler Prime.  Chandler had been in its day the pre-eminent source of scientific research for Starfleet Command.

Now it was little more than a "Think Tank" for washed up scientists.

Jackson was told that the cargo would be loaded in six hours so he checked into a guest suite and had a quick hot water shower and a massage that lasted nearly an hour and a half. When it was done he felt ten times better and dressed in a fresh uniform which some say was a throw back to the Jonathan Archer era.

Lon visited a few friends that he had met on his last trip before dropping by an old eating haunt.  After eating more than he should he felt like taking a nap but knew there wasn't enough time.  Jackson stopped by his quarters on the Base and packed his duffle . He then checked with his First Officer to make sure that all of the crew had started to return from their brief shoreleave.

"They're back Skipper, just waiting to get underway",Pete told him.

Lon knew that was code for "waiting for the Captain's slow ass to get back here" and he smiled.

"On my way Pete,fire up the engines",Lon ordered.

He made a mental note to return to the Base as soon as possible. There was going to be a concert performance by Brom Switzer from New Aries. Switzer was his wife Ellen's favorite pianist and he knew that securing nthe tickets and having a long weekend here with his wife would a go a long way in smoothing over his beng absent for their anniversary last week..

..TBC..)