"Nerves of Steele"
By: Lieutenant Xayella Tagliesh - Chief Science Officer
Ensign J.R. Steele - Flight Control Officer
Location: Main Shuttlebay, USS Sulu; Aboard the Mitchell, Surface of
Dorvali449
Stardate 57906.22, 08h30
***
An alarm chime pierced the dreams of Ensign J.R. Steele. Awakening
suddenly, J.R. looked around, confused for a moment as the haze of the
previous night's sleep faded away. With a smile, J.R. rushed to get
dressed. He had been asked by Lt. McKenzie to switch to the alpha shift for
today so that he could pilot a shuttle to the surface of Dorvali 449.
It wasn't often that Steele got to fly an actual shuttlecraft, and to say he
was excited about it was an understatement. Pausing before the mirror, he
straightened his uniform and ran out of the room quietly so as to not awaken
his roommate.
Walking down the corridor, he flashed his winning smile, and he could see a
few of the ladies turn their heads and smile as he passed them. Thinking to
himself, Ahh the endless possibilities. There are plenty of prospects on
this ship.
Entering the Main Shuttlebay, he was greeted by Petty Officer Senna. The
young J'Naii looked tired, but managed a smile. "Ensign, I wasn't expecting
you for another half hour. I was just finishing the pre-flight checklist
for
your craft. You're going to be piloting the Mitchell to the surface today.
I hear your passenger will be Lieutenant Tagliesh. Good luck."
Steele smiled in return as he made his way towards the Mitchell. Jumping
inside the ship he slid into the pilot chair and ran his fingers over the
console. Whistling in amazement at the beautiful new shuttle at his
fingertips, he began his own pre-flight check. Don't want to leave
anything
to chance, he thought to himself.
Having gotten her field kit packed, and herself fully woken up, Xayella
Tagliesh strode into the shuttle bay exactly thirty minutes later. A young
female officer she didn't recognize came up to greet her,
but as was common practice for Xayella, she dismissed her with a wave of her
hand. She didn't require assistance; she was quite confident she knew what
a shuttle looked like and could read quite clearly the name emblazoned
across
the hull indicating its identity. So, with the self-possession many on the
ship had come to expect from Xayella, she ascended the ramp of the shuttle.
Once within, she stopped and studied the officer manning the controls. She
said not a word and waited to be acknowledged. She was a superior and
expected to be greeted properly. So, with her arms crossed stubbornly over
her chest and wearing her characteristic scowl, she waited impatiently to be
noticed.
J.R. turned and noticed the lovely woman with lieutenant pips scowling at
him and stood up at attention as he said, "Good morning, Lieutenant. Ensign
J.R. Steele. I'll be your pilot this morning." As he greeted her, he
flashed a smile in her direction, hoping to break the ice a little bit.
Xayella nodded slowly as she scrutinized the man. "And you're qualified to
fly one of these things? We're going to be skimming the surface and I
hear that can be pretty tricky. You sure you're up to it?"
J.R. just smiled and replied, "Yes, Ma'am. Probably a little overqualified
on
this piece of machinery. She is a beauty though. Anyways I'm all ready to
launch whenever you are. Just give the command and we can be on our way."
Xayella watched J.R. warily as she stepped forward and moved into her seat.
She set her field kit at her feet and gestured for J.R. to commence the
flight. "I have to be on the planet in a few hours, so hurry this up."
J.R. punched in the commands to power up the shuttle and smiled a little bit
more when the ramp door closed behind them. Keying the intercom he said,
"Shuttlecraft Mitchell to Flight Control. Requesting permission to depart."
A moment later the voice of the flight controller came over the loudspeaker.
"Shuttlecraft Mitchell you are cleared for departure. Have a nice flight."
J.R. turned around to make sure Lieutenant Tagliesh was properly secured,
then with fast precision, he punched the shuttle's engines and the Mitchell
rocketed out of the shuttlebay at full impulse. J.R. continued to grin as
he maneuvered the shuttle through a series of asteroids and descended
towards the planet at full speed.
Xayella leaned forward in her seat and gazed warily out of the viewport.
"Ensign?" She attempted not to sound too nervous, but she was beginning to
question his qualifications as a pilot. "Aren't you approaching the planet
a little too quickly?"
J.R. continued to maneuver between the asteroids as he called out, "With all
due respect, ma'am, you did order me to hurry it up. I can slow our descent
if you'd like."
Xayella chuckled wryly at J.R. "Don't get smart with me, Ensign. Now fly
this damned shuttle properly or I'll come over there and do it myself."
J.R. nodded. "Yes, ma'am, I am slowing our descent now." No more than two
seconds had passed after he replied to the Lieutenant before he had slowed
the shuttlecraft to normal descent and trajectory.
As the shuttle passed through the upper and lower atmosphere, J.R. entered a
few commands into the shuttle console and the shuttle began to level off
until it had reached an altitude of ten kilometers.
J.R. double checked the altitude before he turned to Tagliesh. "Lieutenant,
we have reached our cruising altitude of ten kilometers. I can engage the
autopilot if you need help with your survey."
"From you?" She snorted derisively and rose to take her place beside J.R.
"You just keep us from ploughing into any passing birds, okay?"
Ensign Steele
simply shrugged and kept his hands on the flight controls.
Xayella settled into her seat and began taking in the preliminary telemetry
already coming in from the sensors. Captain Salinger intentionally paired
her with Ensign Steele to make her life miserable. She knew it, but if she
wanted a future in Starfleet, she couldn't raise even the smallest protest.
"Keep us on a smooth course," she muttered. "I want good readings."
"Yes, ma'am," came the curt reply from Steele. If he was upset that she
didn't want his help, it didn't show on the young man's face. As he
continued to fly the shuttle, he kept sneaking glances at her. Beautiful,
absolutely beautiful, he thought to himself but decided to stay focused on
his piloting so as to not draw her attention.
"Ensign, bring us forward one hundred metres then hold that position,"
Xayella ordered. "I want to focus on the cave complex. We've been having
trouble getting tricorder readings in that area. Hopefully the shuttle's
sensors are better equipped to penetrate whatever seems to be blocking our
scans." She looked askance at J.R. and added, "And try keeping your eyes on
the controls, not me."
J.R. didn't bat an eye. "Sorry, ma'am, I couldn't help myself. Coming up
on
new position now." Thinking to himself, Way to go, Steele. You have to be
a little more nonchalant next time.
"It's alright," Xayella replied tightly. "I'm used to it. In fact, I would
have been a little concerned if you were completely oblivious to the appeal
of my physical appearance." She smiled at him slyly. "And believe me, I am
quite confident of its appeal."
"With good reason," replied Steele, then he decided he had better focus on
the piloting. "Lieutenant, that spot over there looks to have a straighter
shot into the caves. It might help with your readings. The maneuvering
will be a little tricky, but nothing I can't handle."
"Good. But I don't want any of the crap you pulled on the way over. Got
it?"
"Yes, ma'am. I guess I just pegged you as the adventurous type," said
Steele
as he maneuvered the shuttle closer to the caves. A sudden gust of wind
battered the side of the shuttle, but Steele managed to keep it steady.
"Ma'am, the winds are a little stronger here. We should be fine for about
twenty minutes or so, but then I recommend we fly back to the cruising
altitude."
"Why?" Xayella asked with an impish grin. "Can't handle a little wind,
Ensign?" She chuckled and worked at adjusting the sensors for scanning the
caves. "A little closer, Steele."
"Nothing I can't handle, Lieutenant. Some of the other senior officers don't
like a bumpy ride. One thing I've noticed about you is the fact you don't
seem to fear much," he said as the shuttle moved closer to the ground. They
could practically see inside the cave with their own eyes.
"Except for skimming past asteroids, no, I'm not afraid of much. If I were,
I wouldn't be where I am today. Those who don't take risks get nowhere."
Xayella grumbled quietly to herself as the sensors still failed to gain
readings on the cavern's interior. "We might have to drop even lower,
Ensign. You think you can handle that?"
Steele steered the shuttle into the very mouth of the cave. He turned
towards Tagliesh and said, "Risk is my game. You should be able to get some
great readings from here. I can probably even enter the cave, being as the
ceiling is quite high."
"That's quite alright, Ensign. The caves are off-limits. I am getting some
readings, but only for the first twenty metres. It's like something's
deflecting the scan back to us. Strange...." Xayella chewed her lip
pensively and continued to modify the sensors, but she achieved the same
results. Her quizzical expression changed slightly as her hand brushed
against J.R.'s. Almost impulsively, she glanced sidelong at him and smiled
silkily. "Keep your hands to yourself, Ensign."
"Sorry, Ma'am, but as a pilot I am in control of my hands at all times.
They
don't do anything I don't want them to. I am more inclined to think that
you brushed against me, accidentally of course," replied the young pilot.
"You're flattering yourself, Ensign," Xayella drawled. "I would never make
a pass at you. Frankly, I doubt you could handle a woman like me."
"Lieutenant, I don't think you know me that well. I love a good challenge.
I don't think there's anything I can't handle if I put my mind to it,"
replied Steele as he flashed his smile at her again.
Xayella raised her eyebrows at him, then coyly looked down at her hands
still moving across the console. "Ensign Steele, that almost sounds like a
proposition."
J.R. pondered her reaction, turned, then smiled right at her as he said,
"Lieutenant, I'd love for the chance to be challenged by you."
"You might regret it, you know. You must have heard what those on the ship
say about me. Doesn't that worry you?"
Shaking his head, J.R. replied, "I don't buy into what others say about a
person. I'm sure you've heard interesting stories about me. Look, I make
my
own opinions. I am not afraid to admit that I like what I see."
Xayella glanced up at him from beneath her heavy lashes and smiled. "Then
meet me in the lounge tonight at 2100 hours? Maybe after that, you'll get
to see a little more."
Steele's grin was interrupted by a strong wind emanating from the cave. The
shuttle began rocking violently but held its position. Frowning at the
sudden movement, Steele turned towards Tagliesh. "Are you okay?"
"Of course I'm alright," she snapped. "Just get us out of here. I'm not
getting anywhere with the sensors anyway. No point in getting ourselves
killed for nothing."
Steele piloted the shuttle back to the safe cruising altitude, then turned
to as, "Do you need more surface readings, or shall we return to the ship?"
"No, I think I've got what I came for. I was only hoping to get better
readings on the caves, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen."
She folded her arms across her chest and sat back in her seat. "Take us up,
Ensign," she said with a sultry smile.
Steele stole a quick glance at the lieutenant while he replied, "Yes,
ma'am." As he navigated the shuttle back towards the ship he thought, My
social
life just got a lot more interesting.
"Last Straw"
By: Lieutenant Xayella Tagliesh
Ensign J.R. Steele
Captain Matt Salinger
Location: Lounge, Deck 2 - USS Sulu
Stardate 57906.22, 21h00
***
If there was one thing Xayella liked about sitting in a lounge filled with
fellow Starfleet officers it was the stares she was getting from the men
seated around her. She smiled at the odd few, and some smiled back, while
others blushed profusely and looked away. No, not men really, still boys
who would benefit from a night spent in her arms. If she stayed on the ship
long enough, she'd enjoy making men out of them all. But tonight, she'd do
that for Ensign Steele.
He was younger than she normally liked, but it was his attitude that caught
her eye. He was confident and a bit on the smug side, which were good
qualities, especially if he was going to have present and future dealings
with her. Cowardice in a man was a complete turn-off for Xayella, but
Steele didn't appear to be suffering from that.
She sipped from her ice-cold Purple Doppler and savoured the sensation of
the droplet of condensation rolling down her chest and disappearing in the
valley of her breasts. The dress she wore was tight in all the right
places, and cut low in the neckline. She didn't doubt J.R. would be getting
a better look at her later, but just in case he didn't, she'd be giving him
a good enough amount of exposed flesh while she was clothed.
She glanced over at the doorway for him, but he'd yet to show up. If he had
changed his mind, it was his loss, and she'd make sure he knew it when she
took every other officer to her bed but him. She chuckled to herself and
returned to her drink.
J.R. paused just outside the doorway and adjusted the collar on his shirt.
He hoped that dressing casually for this encounter would send the right
signals to the Lieutenant, and that perhaps the evening wouldn't end with
just drinks and chat. As he entered the lounge, his eyes immediately fell
upon the red dress Xayella was wearing. Satisfied that she seemed to have
had similar thoughts, J.R. made his way over to her.
Taking her hand and gently kissing it, he smiled as he said, "The scarlet
vixen. You look quite beautiful tonight, Lieutenant. I don't believe I ever
had the pleasure of knowing your first name."
"Then I'd better tell you. After all, you might be saying it a lot
tonight," she replied with an allusive smile. She watched him take the seat
opposite to hers. "It's Xayella. And yours is?"
J.R. smiled, "My given name is Jarod, but since I share that with my father,
I find it's always been easier to be known as J.R. It allows me to make my
own identity. Xayella, that's a beautiful name. It's rather befitting of
someone with your presence." Pausing to emphasize the last word, Steele
smiled at Xayella
"No need to flatter me, Jarod. I know you think I'm attractive." She
leaned forward, giving him a perfect view down the top of her dress. "I
could tell the moment you saw me. Starfleet uniforms aren't very good at
concealing that sort of thing." She glanced suggestively down into his lap,
then chuckled throatily.
J.R. smiled, "No, I admit they are definitely a male's design." As the
waiter brought Steele's drink, J.R. took it and raised it towards Xayella as
he said, "I'd like to propose a toast. To the beginning of what I am sure
will be an interesting adventure."
"You're feeling quite confident about your chances, aren't you?" Xayella
lifted her own glass and brought it gently against Steele's. "If you still
think you can handle me, then your chances might be very good after all."
J.R. whistled softly. "As great as you look in that dress, I'm sure you're
absolutely something without it. As I said on the shuttle, there's no
challenge I feel is too great."
Xayella chuckled again as she lightly brushed her hand over Steele's. "It's
a compliment that you think of me that way. I may be promiscuous, but I
only take to my bed those who are worthy. So in that regard, I am still
picky about men. And you? Do you go with any woman who bats her eyelashes
at you or flashes a bit of flesh?"
J.R. shook his head and replied, "I need a rebellious, tenacious spirit to
have fun in bed with. She has to be feisty and adventurous for me to give a
second glance. The women who bat their eyelashes at me better have
something else to say, otherwise it's a quick dismissal. Most of the women
know this before they even approach me. That makes my life a little
easier."
"But not very satisfying, it would appear. You'll not find many women like
that on a ship like this, so you must sleep alone a lot of the time." She
rested her hand fully atop his and smiled. "I guess it's a good thing I'm
here, isn't it?"
J.R. nodded as he ordered two more drinks for the two of them. "So, when
does the challenge begin?"
Xayella laughed in amusement. "We're not in bed yet, are we? Getting me
there will be the challenge. Getting me there more than once is considered
a victory. That's when you know you're truly a man."
J.R. shook his head and laughed. "Well there are so many ways to approach
this. Some that will insult your intelligence, some that won't. I try to
avoid the lame pickup lines. So how about I cut to the chase. I think it's
obvious that there's something happening between us. To deny that would be
a mistake, and a missed opportunity for both of us. I guarantee you,
Xayella, that if you give me the chance, I won't disappoint you."
"That sounds like a marriage proposal," she quipped. "Are you sure you want
to go with that?"
Shaking his head once again, J.R. replied, "I'm not interested in a long
term commitment. That's hardly my style. I am attracted to you, and I see
nothing wrong with two consenting adults filling the other's desires. Maybe
I am not thinking along your lines?"
Xayella cocked an eyebrow at Steele and said forthrightly, "So, you just
want sex, Jarod? It's alright if you do; I just want to hear you say it."
J.R. leaned in, stared Xayella right in the eyes, and replied straightfaced,
"All I want from you is sex. No commitments, just sex."
She gave him an enigmatic smile and said nothing in reply. Slowly, she
sipped what remained of her drink, set the glass down, then rose. Xayella
smoothed her hands over the bodice of her fiery red dress as she stared
intently at Steele. "Well, then, Jarod," she said finally. "Be a gentleman
and escort your conquest to her room."
J.R. slowly stood up and inched closer to Xayella before popping his arm up
for her to take. Arm in arm they walked out of the lounge.
Xayella brushed her fingers along his arm as they made their way to the
turbolift, each of them exchanging desirous glances and lust-filled smiles.
She needed this after all the stress Captain Salinger had been putting her
through; this would be the perfect tension reliever, if J.R. was as good as
he appeared he potentially could be.
They stepped onto the lift and Xayella ordered the computer to take them to
Deck 3. Once it set into motion, she gave J.R. another sidelong glance and
grinned. "Do you like older women, Jarod?"
Nodding his head, he replied, "They're usually the only ones that can keep
up. Do you prefer younger men Xayella?"
"It's the experience that counts," she purred. She leaned closer and
brushed her lips against his ear. "Are you experienced enough, Jarod?" she
whispered.
J.R. leaned forward and pressed the stop button on the turbolift. Pressing
in close to Xayella, his lips met hers with an electric, passionate kiss.
Xayella chuckled deep in her throat as she brought her arms up around Steele
and flattened the length of her body to his. The kiss sent a warm blush
through her, which proved that J.R.'s answer to her previous question was
better than any witty reply would have been. She tangled her fingers in his
thick, black hair and kissed him until her lips felt numb. Finally, she
pulled back and gave him her most approving smile. "I'd say you were
experienced enough," she replied breathlessly, then pressed her lips to his
again in a rough kiss.
They exchanged kisses for a few more minutes, then J.R. whispered into her
ear, "The best is yet to come." He continued to smile as he pressed the
button to allow the lift to move again.
As she felt the gentle lurch of the lift going into motion again, Xayella
pushed Steele towards the lift wall and pressed their bodies tightly
together. She moaned softly into his mouth as their hips rubbed and caused
a tingle to travel from her lips down between her legs. So engulfed in the
kiss were they that neither of them noticed when the lift stopped and the
doors slowly parted.
The lift shifted slightly as another body stepped inside the car. "Good
evening, Lieutenant, Ensign," said the voice of Captain Salinger.
Xayella slowly parted her lips from Steele's and turned her head to look
upon Matt. She didn't pull away and remained pressed to Steele as she had
been a moment ago. Modesty wasn't a quality Xayella bore, and apparently
neither did Steele, for Xayella simply chuckled while Steele acknowledged
the captain, then the two resumed what they were previously engaged in.
Matt made a tsking noise and shook his head. "Computer, note in the ship's
log that as of stardate 50206.21 at 21h30, ship's time, that Lieutenant
Xayella Tagliesh has been relieved of duty for conduct unbecoming a
Starfleet officer. A full review is pending. Let the record also show that
Ensign Jarod Reginald Steele will also receive a reprimand for conduct
unbecoming a Starfleet officer. Lieutenant Sam is now senior officer on the
Dorvali 449 survey mission and Ensign Tchalla Mel'Chir will be acting as
chief science officer until a review of Lieutenant Tagliesh's conduct can be
made."
Xayella abruptly pulled away from Steele and whirled around to face Matt.
"Computer, halt!" The lift stopped and Xayella took a menacing step towards
Matt. "You've been waiting for this, haven't you?" she hissed. "You're
just like the rest of them, waiting for one false move so you can fulfill
the agenda you obviously seem to have against me."
"If I was waiting for you to make a false move, I wouldn't have given you
that warning yesterday," Matt said, keeping his voice calm. "I gave you a
warning, and you ignored it. You saw me in the lift, acknowledged my
presence with a look, and went right back to what you were doing. There is
no agenda, that is merely your own paranoia that someone is out to get you.
Your behaviour as a Starfleet officer is deplorable, and I'm surprised this
hasn't happened before now. You brought this onto yourself, Ms. Tagliesh.
Don't blame me for your own actions."
"Well, since I already seem to be completely screwed, one more breach of the
conduct code can't hurt me." Xayella grinned smugly at Matt and slapped him
sharply across the cheek. "Go to hell, Matt Salinger," she spat. She
turned back to Steele and her smile became quickly alluring again. "Care to
join me in my room still?"
Before Steele could respond, Matt Salinger slapped his communicator.
"Security to turbolift one. Computer, halt the turbolift at the next floor
and lock it in place. Command override Salinger One One Alpha Epsilon."
Matt turned to Steele and met the man's gaze. "She will not be spending the
night with you, Ensign. I suggest a cold shower. Ms. Tagliesh, you will be
spending the night in the brig. Tomorrow, I will be contacting Starfleet
Command. You will receive a dishonourable discharge. I recommend that you
do not exacerbate the situation. You don't want to end up doing time in a
penal facility after you're removed from Starfleet."
Xayella's smile never faltered and as she continued to face Steele, she
simply shrugged. "I guess we'll have to continue this later, Steele." She
kissed him tenderly upon the lips, then sighed as she stepped away. "Well,
congratulations is in order, Captain." Xayella turned to face Matt again.
"You've got what you wanted - what all of Starfleet's wanted for a while. I
warn you, though, that you might be hearing from my parents, or an Admiral
in Starfleet after my parents get in touch with one, or maybe both....
Either way, I doubt you'll have an easy time of things from here. I hope
you're prepared."
"You're dismissed, Ensign," Matt said. He waited for the helmsman to leave
the turbolift car before addressing Xayella again. "So mommy and daddy look
out for you? That's why you're still able to hold on to your commission?
How many times has this happened, Xay? I know it's not the first, but I
assure you it will be the last. I didn't want this. I wanted you to be a
Starfleet officer. I wanted you to follow the rules. I wanted you to be an
explorer, and we could have discovered great things out there. But, you're
not interested in any of that. You're only interested in Xayella Tagliesh.
Getting what you want, when you want it, and damn whoever gets in your way.
Not on my watch, not on my ship. You are part of a crew of one hundred
fifty intelligent, sentient beings, and you are not the most important among
them. I told you to work as part of the team. I told you to play by the
rules. You couldn't even do that for twenty-four hours. What were you
thinking I'd do when you just dove back onto him? That I'd politely step
out of the lift and let you strip off your clothes and go to town? I doubt
you've ever had to worry about the consequences of your actions before. I
would bet real money that your parents have bailed you out of every single
tough spot you've gotten yourself into."
"You don't know anything about that," she rasped. "You don't know anything,
Matt Salinger. You think my parents care about what happens to me? I've
never once asked for their help, and when I refuse, I still get it. So,
Matt Salinger, you're not as bright as you think you are."
"So then you're either trying to get them to be disappointed in you and stop
helping," Matt said. "Or you've become so used to their 'assistance' that
you know you're invincible and can do anything you want without recourse,
because they'll just bail you out."
Xayella chuckled wryly and looked away from Matt. "Stop trying to figure me
out, Matt. You can't. See, you're like the rest, always thinking the worst
of me, always thinking my actions are motivated by malice and selfishness.
That's why you'll never understand me."
Matt cocked his head to the side. "So, tell me then, what motivated you to
look back from kissing Steele, see your commanding officer who'd just warned
you about your behaviour the other day, and then turn back and start
grinding against Steele again?"
"Does any of it matter? I'm still on my way to the brig, aren't I?"
"Unless you can come up with a way to convince me that you don't belong
there," Matt said.
"Stop playing this game, Matt. You're not going to correct my behaviour by
laying down all these threats then offering to retract them if I cooperate."
Xayella sighed as she propped herself against the wall of the turbolift.
"I'm going to the brig. I'm not going to beg, not for anyone."
"I'm not asking you to beg," Matt said. "I'm just asking you to explain why
you do these things. But, if you won't let me try to help, then there's
nothing more I can do."
"I never asked for your help," she muttered. "And I don't need you to
understand me. It's not necessary since I'm no longer an officer under your
command."
"Very well," Matt said. "Since you don't seem to care, then neither will I.
I don't know where Starfleet Command will send you after this, probably
just back to Earth." He watched her for a moment, wishing there were some
way he could reach out, something she'd accept. There was nothing though.
He pressed a button on the turbolift door to reveal a pair of security
officers waiting dutifully outside. "Take her to the brig," he said. "The
only person allowed to see her will be me. If anyone else tries to visit, I
want to know about it. I'll accompany anyone to the brig who has
authorization to see her. Log it and alert Lieutenant Thalan, but he
doesn't need to get up. I'll meet with him in the morning after I've spoken
with Starfleet Command."
The officers gave curt nods and stepped to either side of the open doors.
Xayella ignored Matt completely as she stepped out of the lift and strode
confidently forward. The guards followed after her immediately and Xayella
folded her arms across her stomach so they wouldn't even be tempted to
physically steer her towards the brig. She looked over her shoulder at Matt
behind them and smiled. "It's been fun, Matt Salinger."
Matt watched after her and sighed. "No, it hasn't," he said.
Xayella shrugged and continued forward with the security officers. She'd
spend a night in the brig, but no doubt by morning, she'd be a Starfleet
officer again. That was the benefit (or curse) of her familial connections.
Her parents had gotten her out of every predicament so far, and all without
one plea for help. But it was never her they were aiding, it was their own
reputation. She wondered at times if they even remembered her name....
Well, she'd have time to ponder such things in the brig, and if her parents
didn't come through for her, she could think about that and anything else on
her mind while she died of boredom and obscurity somewhere on Earth. Maybe
she'd even send Matt a card sometime and thank him for condemning her to the
future she now envisioned. It was one of her own making, though, and she
knew it. Still, blaming others was easier, and Matt couldn't be a more
perfect target.
"The Bet"
By Ensign Steele
and Ensign Sanchez
Location: Private Quarters of Ensigns Sanchez and Steele
Stardate 57906.22, 22h34
***
Dwayne sat on his sofa in the quarters he shared with J.R. Steele. He leaned
on his right side with a holo-novel on a PADD beside him. His dark eyes
stared at the screen, tracking across the screen as he read. At this
moment, he was in just a pair of shorts and briefs.
J.R. stormed into the room, firing his evening jacket into the corner in
disgust. Muttering a few choice words with "Captain Salinger" sprinkled in,
he barely acknowledged his roommate's presence.
Dwayne's brow quirked up at his roommate's entrance, and a smile even spread
across his handsome face hearing the words as he muttered them. "Something
go
wrong?"
Looking at the smug expression on Sanchez's face, Steele shook his head,
"Remind me to thank Captain Salinger for ruining my night." Muttering more
choice words he made his way into his bedroom and began to change out of his
casual wear.
His smile widened into almost a smirk, "Oh? And how did the captain ruin
your night?" He set the PADD on the coffee table next to the sofa and sat
up straight on the cushions.
"I'd rather not talk about it lest I face a court martial like my date,"
snapped Steele. Emerging from his room he went to the replicator and
ordered a syntheholic rum and coke. Downing it in an instant he shook his
head as he placed the glass back into the replicator to be disposed of.
Heading for a chair off to the side, he grabbed a PADD, and tried to ignore
his roommate.
Dwayne's smile disappeared from his face, although it didn't leave his eyes.
He watched his roommate as he stormed their quarters. "Oh come on now, it
can't be that bad."
"You're just not going to let this drop are you?" Steele fired back.
"Fine. There I was with my date on our way to her quarters. Things were
getting hot and heavy in the turbolift when all of a sudden the captain
boarded. Next thing I know, I was dismissed and she's on her way to the
brig. Are you happy now?" Steele flung the PADD against the wall and
stormed towards his bedroom.
Now that wasn't the response he was expecting. His eyes widened as his
roommate stormed off. He stood up and followed J.R. to his bedroom. "Now
there has to be more to the story than that. Tell me." No, he was not the
type
to give up when he had something interesting to talk about. He sometimes
preferred that to reading, like now.
"The captain reprimanded us both for conduct unbecoming of an officer. I
was sent home to take a cold shower. My date, however, was sent to the
brig. Conduct unbecoming. Huh...I'll show him. I'll take every female
ensign
on this ship to bed. Boy that'll make him mad," said Steele with a
slightly evil grin.
A grin spread across his face again. "You are such a playboy. Can't you just
do your work and leave the women alone?"
"Leave women alone? What.do you like, guys or something?" said Steele with
a
stern gaze that quickly turned to a smile. "Just kidding, Sanchez, Just
kidding." Pausing for a moment he looked at Sanchez and asked, "You don't
think I can do it do you?"
Dwayne didn't smile then, the smile in his deep brown eyes also left. "What
of it if I did? And if I did, I wouldn't be after you." Just to give the man
something to think about, then, "I like women as much as most other men. I
just don't see them the same way you do. And I can bet you that there is at
least one on this ship you can't get to." His mind was on Jenara.
"I smell a bet coming on," replied Steele as he walked towards Sanchez,
"However there is no female aboard that can refuse me. How about this. I
bet you two hundred credits I can get every female ensign to sleep with me.
What do you say to that?"
Dwayne crossed his arms and leaned against the wall just inside the door of
his roommate's bedroom. "Oh, and what good would this bet be to me? The 200
credits?"
"Do you want to up the ante a bit then? Fine. What conditions do you want
to
have as part of this gamble?" asked Steele.
"Okay, there are how many female ensigns on board? I know of at least one
who is so shy she can't even stand to be close to a guy, much less let him
get as close as you want to. Okay, 200 for the rest, but if you get her,
I'll up the reward to another 200," Dwayne replied.
"You get a list of every female ensign in every department on board the
ship. The bet starts when I have the list in hand. After each one I take
to bed, I will mark it off of the list. Fortunately you'll be in the
bedroom next to me, so you'll be able to verify each one. Trust me, I'll be
sure to show her off," he said with a wink.
"If you're as loud as my last roommate, it won't be fortunately, it'll be
unfortunately." He grinned again and said, "I'll get you that list, but
don't expect me to be here for every one of them."
"Then you'll simply have to rely on ship gossip to confirm the rest of them.
I assure you I will be quite honest in this dealing, after all, I don't have
anything to lose," replied Steele.
Sanchez retorted, "Implying that I do?"
Steele nodded as he asked, "What is the name of this ensign that you claim I
have no chance with? Your trump card so to speak."
Dwayne stood up straight, keeping his arms crossed over his chest. "That's
just it, she is my trump, you'll know her when you find her."
J.R. pondered it for a moment then said, "Ok so the bet is two hundred
credits for every female ensign except for your trump card, and when I
bag
her I get an extra two hundred credits? Am I understanding the challenge
correctly?"
Sanchez nodded, "Yes, and what do I get if you don't? And what's the time
limit? How long do you think it will take you to get through them all?"
Steele laughed, "I have to do it before one of them transfers off ship or
earns a promotion to full lieutenant. If I fail to do this you get two
hundred credits. If I fail to get with your trump card you get two hundred
credits for that as well. Same profit I stand to make. I can break even by
scoring with every female ensign but your girlfriend. Hence why I am
confident in my chances with this bet." Extending his hand he smiled. "Do
we have a deal, Sanchez?"
"Okay." He didn't take Steele's hand just yet. "Suppose I 'bag' my 'trump'
card before you do?" He stood there, arms still crossed across his bare
chest.
"This bet isn't about what you can do," said Steele with a smirk. "It's
about what I can do. Even if you get together with one of these ladies, I
am still going to try and complete my task. I don't let anything get in
my
way."
"And just so you know, I'll be protective of this one. Very protective."
This time, his arms fell to his sides, in a somewhat defensive stance.
Steele pulled his hand back as he replied, "Fine, then let's fix the last
part of the bet. First you have to tell me her name. Then knowing her name
I will save her for last. That leaves you plenty of time to go after her
yourself. If you do get together with her, then I will pay you two
hundred
credits. I need to know her name first though."
Dwayne's head tilted in thought. "I'm taking you at your word here. Jenara
Redman," was his reply. "She's in engineering in case you didn't know." Of
course Dwayne hadn't known immediately either, but he looked her up.
Steele smiled. "Good thing she's your ace in the hole, because Engineering
chicks are the easiest to get with. True to my word though I will save her
for last."
Dwayne frowned at that. "Chicks? Where'd you hear that word at?" He hadn't
known his roommate was proficient in twentieth century lingo. "And you get
too close to her, and I'll knock you into the middle of the next century."
Steele laughed. "Then why are you making a bet for me to do something that
you don't want me to do?"
"Maybe I'd like to see you fail at something. Although, from what I've heard
so far, you've already failed at one." His smile returned.
"Very well, then I shall ignore your idle threats about your pseudo
girlfriend and will embark upon our bet. Jenara will be my final conquest
as I make you pay up. Have we got a deal?" asked Steele as he extended his
hand.
Dwayne took his proffered hand. "Deal, and I'd like to be there when you are
dropped cold by Jenara."
"Oh you'll be there all right," retorted Steele. "You'll hear her pitiful
screams all the way around the ship." Laughing he walked into his bedroom
as
the doors shut in Sanchez's face.
Dwayne stood there just on the other side of the door, glaring at the door
but imagining Steele's face there. "Oh, it won't be her screams anyone will
be hearing, and when they are heard, it won't be you she screams for." His
hand punched the door as he moved past Steele's bedroom to his
own, forgetting his holo-novel on the coffee table.
"Heading Up Security"
by Lt. Jorell Thalan, Chief of Security
Ensign Lann Talera, Security
Location: USS Sulu, Security Office, Deck 6, Main Bridge, Deck 1
Stardate 57906.22, 23h03
***
Lt. Thalan had beamed back to the Sulu less than an hour ago and sat in his
office going over the daily duty reports. It had been a long day on the
surface and besides a few minor mishaps everything was good, or as good as
could be expected.
As Jorell sat down in his office he shivered for a moment and noticed how
much cooler it was on the ship than on the planet. He moved over to the
replicator. "Tea, blend three, hot." A cup materialized and the man took it
up and took several sips from the glass before returning to his seat.
"Hmmm," Jorell said as he looked over Corrigan's crew report. With an
approving nod at what he read he reached forward and tapped at the com
panel on his desk. "Ensign Lann, please report to the Security Office."
***
Lann had just stepped out of the lift which stopped on deck five. She had
completed her rounds for deck four. Stifling a yawn, she gave a curt nod to
a passing officer as she walked down the corridor.
So far everything was running smoothly. No major occurances, only a few
warnings but nothing out of the unusual, at least not in the Bajoran's eye.
Letting her mind wander a bit, she thought about what she would do at the
end of her shift. Although she had nothing special planned, Talera thought
that maybe she'd go down to the lounge and relax.
Just as she was about to ponder more about her personal hours, she heard the
chief beckon her to his office. Immediately Lann wondered what she did
wrong. A fault of hers ever since she could remember.
She tapped her combadge and replied to the summons, "Aye sir, I'm on my
way."
***
The Bajoran, who probably at first glance, didn't look too intimidating,
stood
at the door of the security chief's office. She took a deep breath and
pressed the chime.
"Come," Jorell called.
Striding in as confidently as she could, Talera stood before Lt. Thalan's
desk. "Reporting as ordered, Sir," she said at attention.
"Please, Ms. Lann, have a seat," he said and motioned to the seat
in front of his desk. Jorell then took up a padd and commented, "It seems
you have made an impression on Ensign Corrigan while I was on the planet."
Lann took a seat and looked at her superior officer with a slightly quirked
brow. "Thank you, sir..." She paused momentarily before continuing, "I was
just doing my job after all, but thank you."
"With his recommendation I am going to give you a chance to prove yourself
to me, as you did Mr. Corrigan. If you are willing, I want you to head up
tactical for Gamma shift this evening." Jorell smiled hoping what he had
just offered her would be well accepted and continued, "I know it makes for
a long shift, especially when you have been on duty for an entire shift
before, but if you are up for it..." He looked to the young Bajoran and
waited for her response.
Tactical? she thought. That would certainly be different from her normal
routine. And as for picking up the next shift, it wouldn't be all that bad.
"Well, sir, I'd be glad to. I don't mind working another shift at all." She
mentally scolded herself. Did she sound too eager?
No...she was truly glad to accept something more than her regular patrol,
after all, it was good that they had noticed her. A little voice told her
not to think too far ahead, besides, this was only an extra shift. Nothing
more, nothing less. Depending on how things turned out after that, then
there was no need getting ahead of herself.
He looked on for a moment and then said, "Alright then, Ensign. I know it is
not a lot of time, but you are relieved for the rest of your shift. Freshen
up, grab a bite to eat. You will report to tactical on the bridge at
zero-hundred hours and take over for Mr. Corrigan. If you need anything
during your shift, do not hesitate to ask the officer in command or contact
me."
"Aye, sir, I'll do that." Talera stood and waited to be dismissed.
"Very well, Ensign, you are dismissed."
***
Ensign Corrigan rubbed his eyes. It had been a long day, especially being
in charge of a duty shift while Lt. Thalan was on the surface quite a bit.
He hoped he would get a chance to go down there as well.
The young man looked over the controls before him and tapped a few buttons
to look over the readouts ensuring all was as it was supposed to be.
The lift seemed to take its sweet time as it ascended to the bridge which
made Lann feel more tense than she was before. She had barely eaten
anything, let alone rested, but nonetheless, she was ready. At least she
thought she was.
Stepping out of the lift, Talera took a quick look around the bridge before
heading for the tactical station where Ensign Corrigan was standing.
"Ensign Corrigan..." she said when he didn't acknowledge her.
Blake looked to the Bajoran before him. "I'm sorry, Lann, I did not notice
you. It's been one of those days." Then with a large smile, "I see the Lt.
is putting you in charge up of security for the night shift." The man then
tapped at the security panel and then stepped aside. "It's all yours. Good
luck."
Talera stepped forward after giving her fellow Ensign a small nod. "Thank
you." She entered her code and took her station.
"Special Delivery"
by Lieutenant (j.g.) Mark Thaine
Stardate: 57906.22, 23h34
Location: Starfleet Shuttle 'Clarke', en route to USS Sulu; ETA: 6 hours, 53 minutes
***
Mark Thaine yawned, blinked once or twice, and attempted to return his
drowsy vision and lapsing concentration to the PADD in front of him.
"You should probably grab some sleep," suggested the pilot of the shuttle,
an
extremely young Petty Officer who, Thaine reluctantly had to admit, despite
his age handled the shuttle with ease and skill. "We've got about seven
hours
to go before we reach the Sulu."
"I'm trying to finish this," muttered Thaine, adding another two lines to
the
PADD and then removing the entire paragraph.
"What'cha writing then?" asked the pilot, leaning in to get a closer look.
"A
letter?"
Thaine pulled the PADD closer to him, turning it so the enlisted crewman
couldn't see the screen. "Yes," he said, glaring at him. "A letter."
The pilot held up his hands in surrender, and then returned to the controls
of the shuttle. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't realise it was private."
There was silence for a few minutes, with only the occasional beeping from
Thaine's PADD disturbing it. Then the pilot piped up again. "You writing to
your girl or something?"
"She's not 'my girl'," growled Thaine.
"Ah, but it is to someone of the female persuasion," grinned the pilot.
"So...you and her a couple or what?"
"What," replied Thaine angrily, standing up and moving to the back of the
shuttle, and towards his cramped bunk. "You know, I can see why you get
stuck doing shuttle runs like this," he called down to the cockpit as he
climbed onto the bed and kicked his Starfleet issue boots off.
"And I can see why you never made it to full Lieutenant," came back the
retort from the pilot. And to the pilot's surprise, Thaine's only response
to
this was silence...followed by simple laughter.
***
"Lieutenant? Lieutenant Thaine? You might want to wake up now."
Mark opened his eyes, yawned, and sat up. Or at least, sat up as much as he
could without banging his head on the bunk above him. Climbing out of the
bed, he rubbed his eyes and put his boots back on. "How long have I been
asleep?" he asked.
"Nearly seven hours," responded the pilot. "We'll be dropping out of warp in
a few minutes, and you might just want to wake up a bit before you meet your
new CO."
Without replying Thaine made his way to the front of the shuttle and sat
down
in the co-pilot seat. There was silence between the two men until, finally,
the shuttle craft pilot said, "We're coming out of warp...now."
Mark Thaine watched out of window as the stars appeared to slow, and a
planet
came into view. And orbiting the planet a small object that was rapidly
increasing in size. Thaine could just about make out the glow of the warp
nacelles and, as they grew closer, the full profile of the ship. His ship.
The ship that would be his home for quite a while, assuming the universe
didn't spring any surprises upon him, as it often enjoyed doing.
"She's a fine looking ship, isn't she?" the Petty Officer commented.
"She is," nodded Thaine, the stars and the ship reflected in his dark eyes.
"That she is."
The pilot pressed a control on his panel. "This is Federation shuttle
Clarke,
with a special delivery for you. You ready for me to beam him over?"
There was a brief silence and then a voice came over the comm channel.
"Clarke, please transfer the new personnel to Transporter Room 1."
"Affirmative. Clarke out." The pilot spun in his seat to face Thaine. "Well
then...good luck to you. Hope you and that girl of yours work things out."
He
held out his hand, which Thaine shook in a firm grip.
"And I hope you make it out of these shuttle runs someday," replied Thaine,
standing up from his seat. The pilot just chuckled.
"You must be joking. I volunteered for this job!"
Thaine was very nearly smiling when he got to the transporter pad at the
back
of the shuttle, shaking his head in amusement. "All set," he told the Petty
Officer. "Just don't scatter my atoms across the galaxy."
"I'll try not to. And you're luggage should be along shortly. Here we go!"
The pilot moved to touch the transporter controls, and the shimmering light
of the transporter beam enveloped him.