Discussion Of Honour

Posted on Fri Feb 14th, 2020 @ 9:09am by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Executive Officer Jake Ford

Mission: Mission 10 - Temperance
Location: USS Temperance, Lounge
Timeline: MD13 - 1900
1456 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Zaza looked around the lounge of the Yeagar and frowned. He was following orders for them to split up and share ideas and stuff to get the ship at least moving and splitting profits but Ona did not say he could not steal some booze to drown out the burning he was feeling. They needed to just get the ship working, dump the Connie crew back on the rust bucket and get the hell out of there. He turned as a shadow appeared at the doorway just as he was getting comfortable.

Jake caught sight of the less-familiar face as he approached the door. He paused a moment to observe, then entered, making his way to the bar to see if there was anything left to scrounge for himself.

As he was looking, he spoke up in a somewhat offhand way: "Was it you?" He let the question hang, turning around to face the other individual. "That knocked out Jea in the Engineer's Quarters, that is."

"Nope. That was the Trill." The hybrid assured quickly not wanting to argue with the man. That was all on Lihau and Zaza was not protecting the woman when she had done something so stupid. "I have been secure on our shuttle for weeks. This is nice. I am finally able to get out and stretch my legs out."

"Yeah, well, enjoy it while it lasts," Jake said softly, rubbing clean a little glass with the corner of his sleeve. "Once we're done here I'm sure you'll be back to working hard, right?"

"I would have hurt a lot easier than hitting her on the back of her head." The man assured without an inch of doubt. He would have just mentally done it, a lot more forgiving and nowhere near as painful or lasting. The Trill was gutless and could have ended all the trouble days ago from the sound of what he had understood. There had been no need to play a long game. "Maybe." Zaza shrugged.

"So what's your part in all this then? If she's the muscle, you're what? The charm?" Jake wondered.

"I am an Engineer." Zaza laughed, he could be muscle if it was needed but he was not going to make a thing of it. "I would not say she is the muscle that is our Andorian friend." He assured quietly swigging back the bottle as the door opened again and Cassie walked in stopping dead when she saw them both.

Jake gave Cassie a little wave, hoping his expression told her he had the conversation under control and not to react too strongly.

"Right, Engineer. You seem like you know your way around a ship like this, though. I guess most Starfleet ships feel pretty similar." He took a little sip of something amber-coloured. "Been on many yourself?"

Cassie came further into the room and offered a nod to Zaza before she moved closer towards Jake. She might not be telepathic but she knew enough to avoid the Engineer. "I have in fact," Zaza commented watching the woman like a hawk.

"Oh yeah? Any I might have heard of? I was on the Griffin for a few years. Old Norway-class. Yourself?" Jake continued.

Zaza looked back at the man. "I was on the Vanguard." It was not a special ship at all and for how young he looked he was anything but that, but no one else needed to know that. "I'm Zakiel by the way." He called over to Cassie making the woman stop her search.

"Ka'see." The woman answered cooly.

"Jake," he added, making sure to move so that he was flanking Cassie a little. He was unimpressed by the way this Zakiel was eying her. "The Vanguard. Maybe I heard of that one. Defiant-class, right?"

"That she was. We were attached to Starbase 261 once upon a time before I left. It was honourable before you ask." The man started noticing that this Jake was watching him intently. He simply stared as she took a sip from the bottle.

"Drink?" Cassie wondered from the pair as she shared a looked with Jake. She could handle herself.

Jake motioned to the glass already in his hand with a shake of his head. He looked back over at their 'guest'. The Vanguard was indeed a Defiant-class ship, out of Starbase 261. So there was a little truth in what he was saying, although he was evasive. Former Starfleet. He wondered how important that part of their shared history was. "It was honorable for all of us," he simply commented.

"I mean my discharge," Zaza said before moving over to where Cassie was stood and offered his glass to her for the drink. "It was honourable. I left to work on a colony. Better use of my experience and expertise. Haven't seen another hybrid in awhile." He added seeing the womans ears.

"Seems like we have plenty more in common than expected," Jake noted quietly. He wondered why Zakiel was so bothered by Cassie. He made a little move forward, so that he was within reach himself. He made out like it was a refill, but watched their guest intently.

"Possibly but I am an Engineer and you are..."

"I am a scientist," Cassie spoke up quickly so the insult wouldn't come out at all.

"What could a scientist do on that type of vessel?" Zakiel wondered intrigued. Ona would be annoyed if he messed this up, but she did not know what was going on in his head at all.

"Science," Jake retorted, taking a sip.

"I mostly create booze and consider how to kill men who annoy me." She said her face breaking into an almost sadist looking at Zakiel.

"My kinda girl." The man said without a hint of fear.

Jake silently had the same reaction but held it back. "We have that in common," he added, pointedly making the statement at Zakiel.

Zakiel looked Jake up and down, not even bothering to hide his distaste for him. "I could kill you without even breaking a sweat human." He murmured looking at Cassie again. She was interesting, to say the least, she would be perfect.

Jake smirked at the remark. He was probably bigger and stronger than the other guy, but it was often hard to judge the ability of someone you just met. He let the comment slide, feeling no need to react other than to let the moment sink in that he'd gotten under Zakiel's skin. He glanced at Cassie, silently asking the question if she was okay.

Cassie nodded at the unasked question even as Zakiel glanced back at her. "You are barking at the wrong tree," Cassie told the other half Vulcan sternly. She did not have more time to go into it but she could smell it on him now that she took the time to think about it. "I have a mate and I don't want to be anyone elses mate."

"There endeth the conversation," Jake grunted, punctuating her very clear statement. He put the empty glass down on the counter. "I'm not really that thirsty any more."

Zakiel just smirked and sauntered away. "He needs to be kept a very good eye on. It is out of his control now." Cassie almost felt sorry for the man if she was honest. She could remember her own stubbornness and fire eating away at her.

As Zakiel left, Jake moved a little closer to Cassie. "You okay? I didn't like where he was going with that."

Cassie smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "I am good Jake. He is in heat. I almost pity him. I would advise any women onboard are not on there own though. It isn't his fault by the way." She did not want Jake thinking badly of Vulcan's.

"I get it. To be honest, I'm glad he left, I'm not sure I like the odds of taking on a hormone-driven Vulcan one-on-one," he admitted. "Maybe I should make sure he hasn't bumped into Eden."

"Go check on your girl." Cassie prompted. She might not look like much but she could handle any man that decided that they wanted to mate with her. "I will be fine. I am going to head back anyway. I have some things to do with this bottle." Cassie swished around the ill-gotten gains she had.

"I'll...pretend I didn't see you take it," Jake nodded. He wasn't sure what the rules were on pilfered booze, but a bottle or two wouldn't be noticed. "See you back on the Rosie."

OFF::

Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson
Biologist
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregnol)

Jake Ford
Chief Armoury Officer
SS Mary Rose

Zakiel 'ZaZa' Elms
Engineer
(PNPC Gregnol)