Top Security

Posted on Wed Dec 7th, 2022 @ 10:20am by Rianne Edei (*) & Leiddem Kea (*) & Delaney O'Callaghan & Richard Hale

Mission: Mission 16: Hysperia
Location: Hysperia
Timeline: MD03
1899 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Leiddem looked around the gangway and shook his head. Why had he agreed to do gangway duty of all things with the new person again? Was this his attempt to try and lead or get to know the man or something? It was not like him to agree to do that duty at all when there was other people around that could free him up to do other stuff that temporary head of armoury should do.

“Anything to report, Delaney?” He asked Delaney as he was in theory meant to be reliving her. He would have normally inserted a cute name but he was trying to be a bit more professional in front of the new guy. He would learn soon enough his style of management just in time for someone else else to replace.

Standing still, in one place, whilst focusing well enough not to completely fail at the underlying responsibility of the task should something present itself, played exactly into Delaney's personal growth area. She couldn't claim to hate it because hatred just wasn't in her make-up but she definitely didn't enjoy it. The department was short-staff though and she wasn't one to expect others to do her share of the work, especially when the one most likely to pick up her slack was Leiddem. Leaning against the side of the ship, her body language spoke of a bone-deep fatigue born of intense boredom, which she over-exaggerated to drop her chin forward into her chest before pushing herself upright to respond. Hardly surprisingly, the nature of first impressions hadn't really occurred to her.

"Sickbay took a delivery of more crates than I think will actually fit in Sickbay," she reeled off, eyes squinted upwards as she attempted to recall the meagre amount of any kind of interaction her shift had involved. "Burnie got a few crates of whatever he was waiting for. A few crew that had signed out arrived back from the surface and now I'm definitely finding the stall selling giant turkey legs next time I'm down there..." She offered the pair a weary grin and shrugged. "It's been quiet."

Well that all seemed like normal operating standards for the ship in the dry dock. It had been several years since he done a drydock so maybe that was an abnormal amount of items coming through for the day but he also knew sickbay was desperate for supplies, by the deities they were desperate for senior crew that stuck around for more than one month but that was not for him to think on. “Yum turkey legs.” Leiddem commented as his partner for night could be seen down the corridor. “You are early mate.” Leiddem called out.

"And you're earlier," Rick responded, strolling up. "Did I hear someone say they had turkey legs?"

"Well, we try not to hold it against him," Delaney grinned, eyes flashing sideways to tease Leiddem. Out of deference to her boyfriend's work ethic, she refrained from any complimentary physical contact, though the urge to squish a turkey's snood out of his chin was strong.

“Gees thanks Delaney.” Leiddem rolled his eyes at her. He held up his legs that were very much not turkey like. He was very much going to make sure he spent more time in the gym to prove that point “I do not have turkey legs thank you very much.”

"Willing to testify," Delaney agreed, her features still alight with mischief as she held her hand out towards the older man. "Delaney O'Callaghan. You might have seen my name all over the various departmental notes demanding that people put shit back where they found it." It hadn't really been an aspiration to turn into a glorified housekeeper but recovery efforts had involved a lot of unpacking an entire cargo bay of panic-hoarding.

"Nice to put a name to the face. Or the other way around," Rick nodded.

“And you know me.” Leiddem declared as he sat down in the chair and looked over the log of the last four hours. There was literally nothing out of the ordinary other than crew coming and going and cargo. It was almost boring but the man had to show willing. Leiddem looked up to see someone walking down the gangway towards them. Brown, wavy hair awkwardly hung over a fine, tense face of a woman who was dragging a lot more luggage than the Betazoid had seen on anyone else in a while. “Um can I help you?” He called out.

“Yes. I’m here for work.” The woman announced looking at the three.

"Huh. No shortage of new hires this stop, then?" Rick observed, folding his arms as he waited to see where this went.

“Well we eat then you see so we need new people too fill that holes.” Leiddem joked as the Betazoid in front of him look marginally amused.

“I am the chef that seasons new hires it seems. Been a long time since I’ve been on that type of ship.” She said without missing a beat in the conversation.

"You've arrived just in time for Betazoid Fritters," Delaney quipped, shooting her boyfriend a pointed deadpan before extending a hand towards the older woman. Try as she might, it was a human custom the redhead hadn't begun to shake. "I'm Delaney. Tonight's entrée here is Leiddem, and then there's New Guy." Her lips twitched. She knew his name, it was just now or never when it came to testing Hale's capacity to deal with departmental banter.

"Hey. I'm New Guy. But people call me Rick," the tall blonde man quipped without missing a beat.

“Of course they do.” Rianne said taking in the group dynamic. “So can I come onboard?” She demanded tired and cranky from travelling to meet them when she normally met the ship where she was.

Rick glanced at the other two, as if waiting for one of them to grant permission. Maybe this was some sort of hazing exercise after all; see who he was going to let on board. "I guess so?" he said, treating it as a question instead of a statement.

Leiddem snorted and smiled at the man. “What is your name?” He finally asked when the chef just stared at the new security crew member confused by his phrasing.

“Rianne Edei.” She answered looking at the man who finally seemed to know what he was doing or at least was sensible.

“You are not on the list.” He said quietly passing the PADD to the others to confirm.

"Unless you're asking how to get on the list," Delaney piped up, smiling warmly at the older woman. Judging by Leiddem's tone, he was about to shift into Mr. By-the-Book and Edei looked frazzled enough already.

“No, definitely should be on the list. I have been due onboard for at least two days.” Rianne said quietly as she turned to the woman. Trust that it was going to take a woman to fix it all.

"It's been hectic around here, I'm sure it's just an oversight. Do you know who you spoke to regarding employment?" Delaney, who wasn't about to circumvent procedure, could still sympathise with wanting to just reach destination's end without a fuss. Her venture into space, her time on Freecloud, and subsequent hiring on board the Rosie had taken a moment to finalise between the negotiation of one contract to allow her new one to take effect. Edei looked like a woman who just wanted to unpack her bags and sleep for several days and the redhead couldn't blame her.

“Gregnol. The Captain.” Rianne answered.

“Of course it was. Always the Captain.” Leiddem replied with an eye role and sat down properly and started looking through PADDs.

"Wait, she spoke to the Captain? I didn't speak to the Captain..." Richard noted quietly, giving Leiddem a little bit of a side-eye. "Was the XO who brought me on."

"More than I got, they sent this clown for me." With a grin, Delaney nudged the back of Leiddem's knee with hers. "Come to think of it, has Gregnol sent you since?" Pulling a face at Rick, and then Rianne, the redhead attempted a mockery of self-reflection and squinted thoughtfully. "I think I'll choose to believe that's just a coincidence."

“I am very respected.” Leiddem muttered glaring at the woman before poking his tongue out. He returned his attention to the PADD but he did note the tone of Richard’s voice at not meeting the Captain.

“Well I believe that you are more in need of a chef than more security so I hate to blow my own trumpet but…” Rianne started but stopped at the other Betazoid in the group let out the a triumphant sound.

“Found you. Three days ago on the joining manifest.” Leiddem put the PADD out in front of them all so that everyone could see.

"Our kitchen staff are going to sob with relief into their soup tureens to have an actual certified chef on board finally," Delaney remarked cheerfully. She wasn't displeased herself at the prospect of having someone on board who might just broaden the crew's palates.

"We have a kitchen staff...?" Richard muttered, glancing at Leiddem.

"Well, we have Marie, who ends up with the job probably more than she'd prefer."

Leiddem shrugged. He barely ended up in the mess at a decent hour. The food was just there like magic for him. “Well poor Marie needs to no longer fear. I am sure I can handle this place and all of you.” She said taking them each in. This crew was varied to say the least and this was just three random security crewmen.

"I can absolutely certify that at least one of us here will eat anything." Delaney's placid deadpan gave nothing away, though one got the feeling that she couldn't rule herself out of that observation. There wasn't a lot of her girth-wise but her fuel-reserves, as her father put it, rarely seemed to run dry.

Leiddem just stared back at his girlfriend in the same manner before looking at the Chef as she just watched the interaction without comment. She was giving him strange vibes but for the life of him he could not work out what it was about her that set off the hairs on the back of his neck, she was one of his species but she had yet to attempt to communicate telepathically. It was unusual but some time Betazoid’s did not instinctively seek out each others mental space. “Well all good to come onboard Ms Edei. I will let the Captain know you are here. Would one of you help?” Leiddem said venturing to look at the pair.

"I'll go, since I'm technically on my way in anyway," Delaney pointed out reasonably. "If we swing by Ops, I can find out your billet and we'll get you settled," she said to the Betazoid woman, peering around her to survey the incumbent chef's luggage. "Is there something I can carry for you?"

Rianne glanced back at the trolley she had been pushing and shook her head. “I got it here. I believe I can get it further in onboard and to my quarters.” Rianne said sharing a look with Leiddem before she turned to the woman who had offered assistance.