08-28-2026, 04:54 AM
Sebastian smiled as Luna was really getting into this, though she was also slightly intimidated by Lieutenant Gath. Luna was a bit surprised when Gath said, “We'll have none of that tonight. This is guided by the rules of Ten Forward. We're out of uniform, and rank is not supposed to be part of this. It is for fun and relaxation. If you must question the morality of the game, then think of it as research. If you're going to catch criminals, then you need to know how they think. Imagine some of the stories of folk heroes like Robin Hood, who wasn't so much robbing from the rich to give to the poor as he was returning tax money to them that had been illegally taken from them. Still, to do so, he and his crew supposedly robbed these officials and were outlaws; though, in truth, they were trying to be loyal to the rightful ruler. At least, that was the version of the stories I enjoyed reading. In a darker light, you might say that there are times when a good person must do bad things for a good reason.”
In many ways, Gath reminded her of her father, Captain Hernández, Professor of Galactic Law at the Academy. He was a strict man who expected the best from his students. Her parents had raised her to be respectful. It was always, “Yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am,” and one always showed respect to one’s elders. Gath was older than she was. Granted, not by much, but still.
Luna, still standing at attention but a little more relaxed, said, “Hija, Sogh, ’ach HIp tuQbe’lu’mo’ neH batlh vuvnIS je Qu’. (Yes, Lieutenant, but just because one isn't in uniform doesn't lessen one's duty to show honor and respect.)”
Her Klingon was perfect.
“Relax,” said Sebastian. “Think of it as a training exercise.”
Sebastian knew that Luna would probably relax around Gath once she really got to know him. He leaned over and whispered to Luna, “Rumor has it the Chief is an amazing painter. Oil, I think.”
Luna looked at Sebastian and then at Gath. She recalled her mother taking her to see a Klingon art exhibition in Boston when she was a teenager. She had been fascinated by the raw passion of the Klingon artists. You could see the power of the warrior beneath their clothes. To say that Klingon artists were surrealists was something of an understatement. Klingon art centered on epic battles of the ancient past.
Luna whispered to Sebastian, “Do you think the Chief would let me see his work?” Her voice was filled with excitement and hope.
“I don’t know. Ask him, but not now. Listen to the Chief,” Sebastian instructed.
“However, the idea here, if things go well, is that nobody would be harmed, and the story of it depends on who is telling it. Who are the good guys or bad guys? Are we rival gangs? Is what we are stealing actually something that secretly belongs to someone else? It's a fictional setting, and we get to have fun with a little character acting.” Instructed Gath.
Luna started to relax a little; she was so happy Pedro was with her.
“I know that I can be rather strict while on duty, but it is moments such as this that allow us to see that we are all still just people at heart. When we go back to work, we're still on the same team, and it might even inspire us more if we're friends and family in each other's eyes. So have fun. That's an order,” Gath instructed.
Sebastian smiled and looked at Gath.
“Alright, Chief, what are your instructions? What do we say to the other hostages?” Sebastian asked, his voice carrying an excited edge.
It hadn't even started yet, and it was already more fun than he'd had in a while.
== Tag Gath. ==
In many ways, Gath reminded her of her father, Captain Hernández, Professor of Galactic Law at the Academy. He was a strict man who expected the best from his students. Her parents had raised her to be respectful. It was always, “Yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am,” and one always showed respect to one’s elders. Gath was older than she was. Granted, not by much, but still.
Luna, still standing at attention but a little more relaxed, said, “Hija, Sogh, ’ach HIp tuQbe’lu’mo’ neH batlh vuvnIS je Qu’. (Yes, Lieutenant, but just because one isn't in uniform doesn't lessen one's duty to show honor and respect.)”
Her Klingon was perfect.
“Relax,” said Sebastian. “Think of it as a training exercise.”
Sebastian knew that Luna would probably relax around Gath once she really got to know him. He leaned over and whispered to Luna, “Rumor has it the Chief is an amazing painter. Oil, I think.”
Luna looked at Sebastian and then at Gath. She recalled her mother taking her to see a Klingon art exhibition in Boston when she was a teenager. She had been fascinated by the raw passion of the Klingon artists. You could see the power of the warrior beneath their clothes. To say that Klingon artists were surrealists was something of an understatement. Klingon art centered on epic battles of the ancient past.
Luna whispered to Sebastian, “Do you think the Chief would let me see his work?” Her voice was filled with excitement and hope.
“I don’t know. Ask him, but not now. Listen to the Chief,” Sebastian instructed.
“However, the idea here, if things go well, is that nobody would be harmed, and the story of it depends on who is telling it. Who are the good guys or bad guys? Are we rival gangs? Is what we are stealing actually something that secretly belongs to someone else? It's a fictional setting, and we get to have fun with a little character acting.” Instructed Gath.
Luna started to relax a little; she was so happy Pedro was with her.
“I know that I can be rather strict while on duty, but it is moments such as this that allow us to see that we are all still just people at heart. When we go back to work, we're still on the same team, and it might even inspire us more if we're friends and family in each other's eyes. So have fun. That's an order,” Gath instructed.
Sebastian smiled and looked at Gath.
“Alright, Chief, what are your instructions? What do we say to the other hostages?” Sebastian asked, his voice carrying an excited edge.
It hadn't even started yet, and it was already more fun than he'd had in a while.
== Tag Gath. ==