04-18-2024, 02:23 AM
At the far end of the bar, four Starfleet Officers gathered around the archaic but proudly-mounted dartboard enjoying a lively but not overly rambunctious game of darts. On one team, Captain Braggins and her trusty Chief of the Boat (none would be so foolish as to say "sidekick") Jenna Bartlett. On the other team, two of the Runabout pilots assigned to DS9, both of whom Jenny had taught to fly. The two pilots, young hotshots both, were justifiably pleased with themselves as they were currently winning and not by a small margin. Jenny and Bartlett had turned the game into a working exercise, as they discussed personnel issues even while they played, Jenny's dress white tunic and undershirt draped over a nearby barstool as she played in her white pants and a plain white t-shirt.
She'd known whoever was assigned to her "inquiry" would be more than happy to rake her across the coals, so she had turned the tables on them. Arriving in full Dress Uniform, the Medal of Honor ribbon on her chest had required every officer in the room stand at attention when she arrived. Had it been petty? Childish? Petulant? Probably, but it had put the smug asshole Bowan on the back foot immediately, and she had deftly and succinctly answered all of the questions brought before her. Then she presented the orders from Starfleet Intelligence in her defence; it didn't absolve her of all the charges that had been laid against her, but it did mitigate them somewhat, especially given she had been successful.
"You want Kal-Geal as CMO? Are you nuts?"
Jenny smirked at the tone of Bartlett's voice, a smirk that disappeared as the dart left her left hand and buried itself in the largest 1-point section of the board. With a sigh, she shook her head as her opponents chuckled and took their spot ready to throw. Bartlett simply hid her face behind her hands as she looked upon the pile of credit chips with a forlorn expression, their chances of winning slipping away with every lousy throw the young Captain made.
"He's an excellent medic and handy to have in a fight. Plus, with Ragarri being redeployed to study the Kzinti reproductive crisis, I'm going to need a replacement."
"He's not even a Federation Citizen. This is because Captain Colso made a comment about the Philadelphia resembling a cattery, isn't it?"
"First, neither am I. Second, no. Well not entirely. The KDF have rescinded his position because he left the Yeager without orders; General B'Emir hinted that this was going to happen anyway, but I still feel responsible. I can offer him a field commission and if Command don't like it, they can suck it."
Bartlett shook her head slowly with a long, slow, sigh as she reached for her beer glass. It was, sadly, as empty as Jenny's own as their opponents threw their last dart to score their final points and win the game. With a good-natured smile Jenny pushed the credit chips toward the two younger men. A hand stopped hers, and the younger of the two men flashed a winning smile as he placed an empty beer mug on the table. It was a challenge - winner gets the pot and a free round. Jenny shrugged, one beer wasn't worth her time, but she grudgingly relented when the offer of two rounds was made - first one to hit the bullseye, ladies first as per the custom.
Stepping up to the mark, Jenny took a deep breath and readied the dart to throw. Bartlett stood back, arms folded, an amused smirk on her face.
"Are you going to throw lefty all night? You're right handed, you know."
Shrugging, Jenny switched the dart to her right hand, steadied herself, and threw. With a dull thud, the dart embedded itself in the bullseye, triggering the little red lights around the outside of the board. With a grin that wasn't quite smug, but also wasn't far off, Jenny turned to the two duly chastened pilots and passed the empty mugs into their waiting hands while Bartlett scooped the credit chips off the table.
She'd avoided a Court Martial, humbled a bumbling bureaucrat, and hustled two hotshots out of free drinks. It had been a good day.
==Darts, anyone?==
She'd known whoever was assigned to her "inquiry" would be more than happy to rake her across the coals, so she had turned the tables on them. Arriving in full Dress Uniform, the Medal of Honor ribbon on her chest had required every officer in the room stand at attention when she arrived. Had it been petty? Childish? Petulant? Probably, but it had put the smug asshole Bowan on the back foot immediately, and she had deftly and succinctly answered all of the questions brought before her. Then she presented the orders from Starfleet Intelligence in her defence; it didn't absolve her of all the charges that had been laid against her, but it did mitigate them somewhat, especially given she had been successful.
"You want Kal-Geal as CMO? Are you nuts?"
Jenny smirked at the tone of Bartlett's voice, a smirk that disappeared as the dart left her left hand and buried itself in the largest 1-point section of the board. With a sigh, she shook her head as her opponents chuckled and took their spot ready to throw. Bartlett simply hid her face behind her hands as she looked upon the pile of credit chips with a forlorn expression, their chances of winning slipping away with every lousy throw the young Captain made.
"He's an excellent medic and handy to have in a fight. Plus, with Ragarri being redeployed to study the Kzinti reproductive crisis, I'm going to need a replacement."
"He's not even a Federation Citizen. This is because Captain Colso made a comment about the Philadelphia resembling a cattery, isn't it?"
"First, neither am I. Second, no. Well not entirely. The KDF have rescinded his position because he left the Yeager without orders; General B'Emir hinted that this was going to happen anyway, but I still feel responsible. I can offer him a field commission and if Command don't like it, they can suck it."
Bartlett shook her head slowly with a long, slow, sigh as she reached for her beer glass. It was, sadly, as empty as Jenny's own as their opponents threw their last dart to score their final points and win the game. With a good-natured smile Jenny pushed the credit chips toward the two younger men. A hand stopped hers, and the younger of the two men flashed a winning smile as he placed an empty beer mug on the table. It was a challenge - winner gets the pot and a free round. Jenny shrugged, one beer wasn't worth her time, but she grudgingly relented when the offer of two rounds was made - first one to hit the bullseye, ladies first as per the custom.
Stepping up to the mark, Jenny took a deep breath and readied the dart to throw. Bartlett stood back, arms folded, an amused smirk on her face.
"Are you going to throw lefty all night? You're right handed, you know."
Shrugging, Jenny switched the dart to her right hand, steadied herself, and threw. With a dull thud, the dart embedded itself in the bullseye, triggering the little red lights around the outside of the board. With a grin that wasn't quite smug, but also wasn't far off, Jenny turned to the two duly chastened pilots and passed the empty mugs into their waiting hands while Bartlett scooped the credit chips off the table.
She'd avoided a Court Martial, humbled a bumbling bureaucrat, and hustled two hotshots out of free drinks. It had been a good day.
==Darts, anyone?==