Half Cocked Jack and Stone Cold Johnson
The away team materialized in the transporter room on the Monitor, and were greeted by a cluster of security officers and Admiral Johnson. Silent nods of greeting were exchanged between a couple of the officers and Pukey, before the cluster of Fiends moved in to take control of tr'Avrak. The five starfleet officers in the away team snapped to ( Read more... )
As they got to their chairs, some individuals obviously looked tired.
Thil wore the shiny black leather and silver insignia of Homeworld Security.
Sharad showed up at the table in uniform, security gold, with a Commander's pips.
Thil looked Sharad up and down for a moment, and commented, "You don't look used to it."
The wiry chan turned, and stared, as if it were a strange thing to hear another Andorian make an off-hand comment.
"Have not worn it in two years," he said.
"Monitor?"
A silence. "...No," he said, cryptically, turning from Thil to face the front of the room.
Noelle looked relieved to be back in uniform. Her short hair was slightly damp, and showed comb lines.
Quinn looked, strangely, wide awake... as they might say, bright eyed and bushy tailed.
There were a few strange faces, all from Monitor. Quinn smiled his brightest at them and greeted them as old friends.
Near the head of the table was a woman in science blue, wearing a commander's pips. Her exotic beauty didn't seem a fit for the drabness of Fleet. Her long, auburn ringlets were held up in a jewelled clasp, and her jet-black eyes seemed to see through everyone present.
"Zahria Elbrun," Pukey whispered to whoever from Shingen happened to be sitting nearest him. "Former ship's counselor. Now works for SI. Probably here to debrief us."
"She can debrief me all she wants," someone muttered.
Nobody would've heard from across the room, but Elbrun looked up, and smiled at Pukey and the person who'd muttered the comment about debriefing, making both males blush red down to their boot-tops.
The Admiral filed in. The man had the shoulders of a stone monument and a back so straight that it must've been held that way by a metal rod. He had chiseled features, steel-gray hair, and gray eyes.
The debriefing proceeded, and was as dull as any other such proceeding. Sharad told the Admiral and all present about the thrilling heroics of Therav and Diziara.
Thil told the Admiral about what she witnessed.
Everyone gave their side of the story. Noelle told about Spiegel's quick thinking and the computer virus, and how Spiegel rigged all the doors to stay open.
"What is the status of Lieutenant Commander th'Shan and Lieutenant zh'Cheen?" the Admiral asked.
"Aritallanaleh zh'Cheen is at the Imperial Guard medical center in fair condition. She will be released to Monitor tomorrow," Sharad reported. "Hravitherav th'Shan's status and whereabouts are unknown."
"Very well," the Admiral said. "We will meet again tomorrow with a status report. All are dismissed."
Elbrun brushed past another male drooler and told him he thought too loudly.
"Stupid bastard," Thil softly hissed as she walked at a fast stride. "Why'd you do it, you stupid bastard."
Noelle walked beside Diziara and Spiegel as they exited. Diziara's Fiendish friends caught up with her and Spiegel in the hall as she left the room. Noelle walked with them for a time, but occasionally yawned, and rubbed her eyes.
She spotted Thil, and walked up to her, and said, "We can find out how he is. Actually, you can."
Thil stared at her, but for once the teeth weren't out. Her antennae drooped.
Noelle stopped her, and said, softly, "Listen, I don't mean to intrude. But... it's clear to me that he should be the one at your side next week. It should always have been so."
"I couldn't go through this every time there is an away mission," Thil softly countered. "Nor could've the other two of us, then or now. Even though a warrior must live with death."
Thil strode off. Noelle shook her head, and caught back up with Diz's group.
Reply
Jack approached Diziara, Noelle and Spiegel as they exited the briefing room, a shorter man with dirty blond hair kept in a shaggy short cut tagging along behind him. "The magnificent Death Kitten graces us with her presence again!" he proclaimed with a grin.
"Corey!" was all she said in reply as she caught him in a tight hug, lifting him off his feet, and spun him around, causing Spiegel and Jack to duck out of the way. Noelle, tired and yawning though she was, didn't even look put out as she automatically adjusted her trajectory down the hall to compensate for this disturbance. Other crew nearby raised eyebrows, but no one dared say a word, some of them having heard rumors of this crazy redhead already; including the events down on Andor and the lack of dressing down for the subtle disrespect for the Admiral in the transporter room.
"Jack tells me you couldn't track me down since my last assignment," Corey said as Diziara let him down again. Noelle spotted Thil about this time and headed towards her, the look on her face indicating she felt there were things to be said. "Do you know how hard it is to get in contact with 668 from a ship in the fleet? No one wants to admit that station exists, and I am ashamed to admit my minor in engineering doesn't include fixing communication systems when they've been locked down by upper brass trying to cover up things." Corey hung his head.
"Oh that's easy," Spiegel muttered.
"So teach me," Corey challenged with a grin. Spiegel sized up the man by cocking his head to the side slightly. Corey offered up his hand to shake. "Waterhouse."
"Spiegel." He took the offered hand.
"And thus ends the conversation you and I will be able to understand for the evening," Diziara commented to Jack. Jack snorted in reply. "So, what goodies did your Dad send this time?"
"I haven't opened the package yet, haven't made it back to my quarters since dropping you off before your debriefing. I literally just rounded up Corey and told him we'd find you here."
"Diz mentioned Romulan Ale," Spiegel commented in a hushed voice. Jack coughed.
"He taught me morse code during some of the longer away missions during the Klingon war," Diziara explained. "I told him about it while you were showing us to our quarters." She tapped on the back of Jack's hand, and both Spiegel and Corey snickered.
"What'd she just say?" Jack demanded. Diziara giggled merrily and Corey opened his mouth at least twice before he just gave up trying to say anything.
"Is that why they call you half cocked jack?" Spiegel sputtered. Corey erupted into laugher, and Diziara's giggles fell to silent laugher as she laid a hand on Spiegel's shoulder. This was when Noelle caught up up with the group again.
"What did I miss?" she asked bewildered. Diziara tapped out on Noelle's hand what she'd tapped on Jack's a moment before.
"They probably have something for that problem down in sickbay," she suggested helpfully, though she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
"I like her," Corey said as he managed to control his laugher again. "Are you joining us for the consumption of the best of things that make you drunk?" he asked her.
Reply
She smiled again at the group, looking from Diz to Spiegel to Corey to Jack. "Nice meeting both of you."
She turned and headed back to her quarters, where she immediately unpacked her bunny pajamas and replicated a hot cocoa.
Reply
Leave a comment