Security Goons

Posted on Tue Sep 5th, 2023 @ 9:43am by Leiddem Kea (*) & Delaney O'Callaghan & Chief Operations Trades

Mission: Fractures
Location: Security Offices
Timeline: Back post
1463 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

"Just breathe."

As the doors to the security offices opened, they deposited a familiar redhead taking her time to step backwards as she addressed the sceptical Betazoid trailing behind. It had been an early morning, even by their standards, the anticipation of returning to a full work rotation presenting as oddly motivating for all the pair were sad to leave Hysperia behind. Delaney, usually the first up, hadn't beaten Leiddem to the shower for once and they'd both added an extra loop to their morning jog simply to bide time for breakfast to be ready. Now, locked in conversation that showed a usual lack of concern for who else might be listening, the couple seemed mostly at ease despite Delaney's best attempt at beguiling innocence. It wasn't doing much to budge the look of dubiously affectionate mistrust on her boyfriend's face.

"I'm not going to make the guy feel unwelcome just because his people have a reputation." Some might have called it naivety and perhaps it was but a lack of direct contact with the fallout from Cardassia Prime's political aspirations over the years left Delaney perfectly poised to be circumspect about her new boss. Betazed hadn't fared quite as well, however, and she was worried that her new family were pushing aside old grievances because they felt they had to.

Leiddem just stared at her and shook his head. It had been the same conversation for the last couple of days since Reuben had announced that there was finally a replacement for Chief Operations Officer. It was a sad state of affairs that it had taken that long but Leiddem could not judge. Crew was hard to come by everywhere. “All I am saying is be… oh hello…” Leiddem said seeing several people already in the security offices that were unfamiliar.

The slight narrowing of Delaney's eyes, whilst almost always intended playfully, was also just cause for expected intervention given the redhead's capacity for speaking first and potentially considering the impact hours later. She assumed, rightly or wrongly, that these were the newcomers Gregnol had promised when he'd silently resigned himself to the fact Leiddem would be running the joint for a little while longer. Whenever they'd managed a family dinner night, Delaney had adopted her broken record impression regarding the need to simply make the appointment official and it had amused both Leiddem and Jeassaho alike that the Captain had given up arguing with her. They were desperately in need of more security personnel regardless of who was in charge, however, and it wasn't so much that it was a surprise to see the new faces as it was to have been beaten to start of shift by them. Turning, she waggled her eyebrows at her boyfriend. "Fresh blood."

Leiddem offered the pair a smile and held out his hand in the human greeting. They both seemed human so it seemed the best approach. "Leiddem Kea... Acting head of department." He offered.

The pair swapped glances, which seemed indicative enough that they'd been told to report to the Betazoid, and Delaney grinned as she unfolded her arms and offered her hand. "Delaney O'Callaghan. I run manifest here, inventory and stocktake, service tags, asset allocation, maintenance schedule..." Leaning sideways, she jostled Leiddem playfully. "Most of the actual work."

Hesitant smiles took a moment to solidify and Delaney was infinitely amused to notice that the two younger crewmen seemed to check first with Leiddem to gauge his reaction before committing to relaxed relief. "We're looking forward to working with you, recruitment said you guys have been short-staffed for a while."

"Officially, yes," Delaney chimed in before Leiddem could stop her. Blithely ignoring his warning glance, she continued. "Though we did pass quite a bit of time hauled up in a cargo bay trying not to freeze to death or suffocate, and then spent the last while wrestling dragons." She hunched her shoulders pragmatically. "The workload's been light enough that we've managed."

"Dragons were fun," Leiddem said quietly as he moved into the room and sat down at the department head's chair and looked over the tickets from the previous night to try and gauge what kind of day they were going to have.

For what felt like the first time in forever, Delaney moved to her own workspace and laid flat palms against the freshly updated console. "Everything's so shiny." She had, of course, still handled aspects of the job that couldn't wait for months of refit. The maintenance schedule waited for no one. But she hadn't stood here for any length of time, knowing that life was about to revert to what was loosely regarded as 'normal' around here. Oddly enough, despite the lack of turkey legs and mead, she was excited.

Trades entered the room. He wasn't sure what the summons had been about but part of him still wanted to prove he was going to be of value to the crew. It had been a long time since there had been a crew for him. As was appropriate he hid his anxiety over the issue. Strapped in a leather holster on his right hip was a replica of a 1851 Colt Navy Pistol. The last request for a custom weapon he had accepted before leaving the planet. He wore it to make sure the weapon fit and didn’t become loose while moving. As expected the results were satisfactory. Now all he had to do was figure out how to ship it to its new owner.

Leiddem turned to look at the newcomer and raised an eyebrow at the man being there. “Morning Trades. You have a gun?” He questioned raising from the seat he had just plopped down on to seeing the holster.

"Indeed I do," Trades replied, "It is not active, merely testing its weight."

"Even so let's not be wearing it too much. No one has weapons on board freely displayed like that." Leiddem advised with a soft voice. He was not past ordering or making Gregnol order it but he would try the softer approach first.

"It's going to need to go on the asset register too," piped up the voice of someone who definitely hadn't been eavesdropping. "And I'll have to service tag it."

Leiddem smiled over at her and nodded. “That too. We need to have everything on the register and accounted for but it the Captain will be telling you to put it in the safe. Fake or not.” He assured quietly.

"That would be fair. The test is complete and the item simply needs to be ready for shipment when we are next in port." It seemed a complicated process for such a simplistic product, but then ship's were always more complicated on in the inside than how they appeared from the outside.

Leiddem just offered another nods and a smile. “Probs best to check with engineering that the locker works for when it arrives.” Leiddem was not sure where or when the next port was so he was sure there was plenty of time.

"Is it staying on board then?" Delaney gave up trying to pretend that she was honouring the privacy of the conversation and crossed to stand between the pair. "If it's not, I can move it to the temporary register. Otherwise, we're going to have to set up a service tag for it."

Leiddem shrugged. He had never tried to test something like that. He had either had a weapon or did not, he did not believe in test but he also did not believe in keeping a weapon on him at all times even in security. He was surprised that Gregnol had not had words around it all.

"It's only staying on board until I am able to send it to the new owner. It's the last of my commissioned items."

Leiddem nodded and offered a shrug to Delaney. “Well, all seems to be in order then.” He offered with a smile awkwardly. There was not more exactly to say other than that so he left the trial of thought there.

"Nearly," the redhead agreed, beckoning the Cardassian over. "It's definitely a lot less paperwork, and a different coloured asset tag, but you're not off the hook yet." Lifting her chin a little to peek at the weapon in his hands, she asked, "What is it exactly?"

"Earth style 1851 Colt Navy Pistol, .36 caliber. One of the most popular weapons of Earth's 19th Century with nearly a quarter million made, used across both hemispheres for military and non-military uses." he held the weapon up for easier inspection.

Leiddem had no idea what to suggest at this stage but his girlfriend seemed to have other ideas. He would enquire later about what was going on with her sudden interest.

TRUNCATED