Nukes and Knives

Posted on Mon Mar 2nd, 2020 @ 1:15am by Division Admiral Thomas Lasky & Company Sergeant Major Jeffery "The Mountain" Duval

Mission: Mission 38: Last One Out, Get the Lights
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1900Hrs - July 23rd, 2391

Sergeant Major Jeff Duval was sitting behind the bar on this fine evening as he was busy working out what he would need the next tie the ship went into spacedock for resupply. It was looking more and more like he would need everything as the tribbles ate his entire food supply and now he was stuck with the replicators.

"Blasted Tribble VeQ'." he growled softly in Klingon as Fives walked into the Green Dragon, entering from the starboard side. "Hey Sarge."

"Yo Fives... Why do you look so happy?" Duval inquired.

"Well... I'm having a night out and for a change."

Duval raised an eyebrow. "Go on?"

"The lady should be along shortly."

"Wait.... you're here on a date... who is she?" Duval inquired as he paused. "Wait. your package came in... Here." and with that he reached under the bar for a decent sized box which he handed to Fives. "Two dozen throwing axes, straight from the forges of Harvest."

Fives opened the box as he smiled. "Ahh..." as he lifted one of them.
"As good as your word Sarge. You want anything made in the forge, you let me know.."

"As a matter of fact... I do." Duval slowly smiled as he handed Fives a PADD. "Can you make something... like that."

"A gram sword... from norse mythology... I'll look into it." Fives responded as the door opened and in walked Zara Tane.

She was in a nice pair of khaki slacks with a red, long-sleeved blouse that was styled in a mid button-up V-neck.

"Hi," Zara breathed nervously as she approached Fives.

Fives smiled. "Yo."

Duval regarded the skipper. "Evenin' Zara. I lifted Five's ban on his word that he would behave."

Fives nodded. "That... was a while ago."

"I'll vouch for him," Zara assured and gestured to the tables. "Where do we want to sit?"

"Right here at the bar is good... that way fewer people will cause us issues." Fives responded.

"Plus your meal is on the house." Duval responded. "I'm afraid you guys will have to settle for replicated.. the tribbles ate almost my entire food supply."

"Hopefully we fix that problem soon," Zara noted with a frown and looked at the menu in front of her. "I'll have a 2383 Andorian... water."

"An Andorian ... what?" Duval inquired.

"The lady is trying to quit drinking." Fives smiled. "I'll have a coke cola."

"You got it." and with that Duval went to fetch their drinks.

"Zara... what is a 2383 Andorian water?" Fives inquired.

"Water," Zara spoke instantly, though something in her brown eyes wanted to say something else. "It's fine if you aren't a fan of that brand. Sometimes a good red water is nice for romantic meals."

"Red Wine." Fives responded. "Zara.... why can't you say wine?" he inquired.

"I just did." Zara reaffirmed, though that small glint in her eyes spoke of something internal. A struggle to think and say something else. "Anything in particular you want to eat?"

Fives narrowed his eyes. "No... Zara... you said water... you keep saying water whenever the subject of booze comes up." he responded quietly. "Sarge.. What do you recommend from the stock you got left?"

"I can make you Beef wellington, extra pasty, with risotto over scallops and for a side you got small whole potatos with gravy."

Fives smiled. "That sounds good Sarge, also give us a bottle of wed wine from Cabernet Sauvignon."

"You got it... it'll be a little while for the meals... I have my guys in to make it for you."

"How did you know we were having a date?"

"Saki Yamaguchi told Lieutenant Benice who told me." Duval responded.

"Rumor mills don't take long on this ship," Zara laughed easily. "Thank you, regardless, Duval."

"Your welcome skipper..." he responded as he lifted the PADD. "I'm gonna give this to my guys." and with that he rose to his feet as he placed a bottle of wine before Fives, before taking his leave.

"Not many people call you Tom," Zara pointed out conversationally as she reached for the bowl of peanuts and started snacking on a handful.

"No." Lasky answered evenly. "I prefer it that way."

"Had a guy call me Pocket Rocket - Rocket for short... mostly because he thought I had a lot of power in such a small frame," Zara laughed. "So what should I call you?"

Lasky regarded her. "Everyone else calls me Fives... only family calls me by name..." he paused. "Even Torilla doesn't call me by name." he paused. "almost nobody does anymore..."

"I prefer folks call me Zara... I don't rather much care for Captain Tane at all," Zara spoke honestly. "My predecessor isn't someone I'll ever surpass in greatness."

Fives regarded her. "Don't try to surpass him... just make your own mark... and be remembered for yourself....and not him.."

"You're about five years late on that suggestion," Zara remarked bittersweetly. "I got my captain's pips after I joined with Tane. Only because admiralty expected great things of me because of Zeth... When I didn't live up to their standards, my ship's needs became bottom rung."

"Jake's presence tells me otherwise and I hear you're friendly with April Yamaguchi too." Fives responded quietly. "We'll make this work... somehow."

"Zeth made his mark as the modern Starfleet carrier ship CO. Most of what we did in the fleet during the war, carrier CO's took from him," Zara spoke almost mournfully. "I can't be the military wizard there... But I can help those in need. Which is why these colony missions mean so much to me."

"Well.. they work... scuttlebutt says many things... many of them good things."

"I lived in poverty, in the underbelly of Trill's capitol," Zara confessed quietly. "Got a great many of battle scars from gang bangs to show for it.. So you might say this crusade of mine is personal."

Fives slowly smiled, as he was learning that there was a great deal to Zara Tane then he had ever imagined, he couldn't be more pleased. "I can understand that.." he paused. "I heard you like knives... can you throw them?"

"I can... Duval doesn't like it when I throw them at the dart board," Zara snickered. "We didn't have phasers or disruptions in the underbelly. Mostly because the moment we started using them, police came into our territory and cleaned house. So you learned to use knives in various ways to survive."

Fives smiled. "I can teach you how to hit the dead center of a target the first time." he smiled.

"I already know how," Zara pointed out with an amused grin.

"Then you'll be entertained while I work out." Fives responded.

"What is your preferred method of working out?" Zara asked with curiosity.

"I prefer working out in a Tibetan monastery setting." Fives admitted. "It reminds me of home. I have several combat styles..."

"I once tried to learn Taekwondo, at the Academy," Zara spoke with envy. "Sensai Jhutaro threw me out of his class because I lacked the discipline to go very far... Did learn to master ball-kicking pretty well though."

"Jhutaro is an idiot." Fives responded. "I could teach him more then a few things." he sighed as he poured a glass of wine for himself and one for her, then he skid a glass across to her.

Zara took it, sipped on a few seconds. Her face, however contorted in a manner that meant she disliked it. Outwardly, anyway. Her eyes spoke of recognition.

"It's good... water," Zara struggled to find the right word, but she visually was not happy with the word chosen.

Fives raised an eyebrow, he had by now gotten the impression that something was wrong as their food arrived. "Ahh... thank you."

"So you making any special arrangements for when your baby comes?" Zara asked with true enthusiasm.

"I want to be a good father so... I'm going to arrange to move into family quarters closer to the time." he responded with a smile. "My son or daughter will well cared for."

"I often watch my brother when he's off on school breaks," Zara commented. "Teenager, so a bit different. Wants to be a pilot or engineer - can't decide which one at the moment."

"Why discriminate.... tell him to try both.." Fives responded. "once he has his pilots license, he can go anywhere and then he can focus on Engineering.... what does he want to fly?... civilian ships, Federation Starships, Shuttles or fighters?"

"Oh... fighters," Zara shook her head. "I learned to fly the trainers back in junior military school. But that was so I could self-diagnose the problems I felt when I flew. He seems to like a similar logic."

"Ahh... then he will need to choose one or the other.." Fives sighed. "tell him to go Engineering, its safer but he would have better career prospects."

"I know I do... granted, I was already a skilled mid-security level hacker by the time I was fifteen," Zara supplied with a grin. "To be honest though, I don't want him going Marine. I don't want him being given the hardest security and peacekeeping missions out there. Those guys have the highest death rates."

Fives nodded his head. "I hear ya.... Engineering is something he shouldn't pass up just because he's thinking fighters will help him..." he paused. "in the end though... its his choice."

"He most assuredly doesn't want to go into politics, like my mom," Zara spoke very thankfully. "Half-brother though he is, I really am glad he's a mind of his own."

"He sounds like he does..." Fives responded. "Either job offers various things but if he wants serious staying power...then he should choose Engineering, it'll be more of a challenge but it'll also reward him with more places."

"Oh I was told to focus in engineering after advanced flight, my first year in the Academy... Might of had something to do with driving so wildly my instructor lost his lunch," Zara mused with a playful grin.

"I'm sorry I missed that." Fives responded before he chuckled softly. "Why didn't you remain a pilot?"

"Liked working with my hands more... Still do, over Command," Zara reminisced mournfully.

"I hear ya.." Fives sighed softly. "I miss home.." he admitted. "Been away too long... I miss the bite of the snow, the ice cold winds... the presence of my sensai."

"Sounds a far better place than mine," Zara noted with envy. "You build snowmen and stuff?"

"Actually... we do." Fives responded. "Its an open sprawling town between two mountains... we've engineered it so we don't have an avalanche threat..." he sighed. "I miss home.."

"I should like to see it at some point," Zara spoke eagerly as she started to eat.

"That... can be arranged." Fives smiled. "I think you'd like it among my people... they are a spartan lot but... they are a happy group."

"I'd most assuredly love to watch the sparring," Zara spoke enthusiastically. "What dan are you?"

"Forth Degree Black Belt." he responded. "in Wushu, which is broken down into Taolu and Sanda. I love it... it helps me to relax.."

"Oh wow... You are dangerous," Zara spoke very animatedly. "Most I can hope for are sneak attacks."

"You'll need to be quick... trouble is.. my hands are lethal weapons and... I can do a lot of physical damage to someone in a fight."

"Ball hits and knifing is my best offense," Zara spoke almost shameful in comparison to his skills. "I have done kickboxing, but I'm out of practice."

"We can cure that in time." Fives responded as he sheared off a piece of foot before tossing it into his mouth with his fork.

"I'd be more than happy to make that our next date," Zara admitted very eagerly. "Assuming you want a second date... I know I'm not the most pleasant person to be around, sometimes."

"I will survive your barbs." he responded. "Provided you can back it up..." he gently tapped the box next to him. "with force... against various targets.."

"My knife throwing will make you wet yourself, Mister Lasky," Zara teased.

"Now now... don't tease me.... We are in public..." he regarded her. "but... I will.. have you later."

"If it's anything like before, I can't wait," Zara spoke with anticipation, but paused when the wine caused her to physically make a bitter taste, even when her eyes spoke of pleasant recognition.

Lasky noticed something was wrong. "Zara... is something wrong with the wine?"

"I..." Zara worked very hard to search for the words. "I don't know... It's not water, but it is."

"Did someone do something to you.... you are not known for going sober.." Fives responded.

"I've been drinking water the whole time." Zara paused to retrace that sentence with confusion written on her face.

Fives paused. "What happened to you?" he asked softly.

"I don't know," Zara answered with frustration.

Fives raised an eyebrow. "Someone wanted you to quit drinking... and they were willing to go to extreme measures to do it." he paused. "That sure narrows it down to a few... Elizabeth Yamaguchi chief among them." he sheared off another piece of his food and ate it. "do you have any thoughts?"

"I dunno..." Zara tried to push it aside as she continued to eat her meal. "I have an appointment with Counselor Stevens tomorrow though."

" I hear the new Counselor is good at her work." Fives responded evenly. "Torilla spoke well of her."

"I guess so. I only spoke to her briefly," Zara shrugged as she neared the finish with her meal. "She's nice. Torilla was all happy about the kid's attitude."

"So... we have a working counselor for a change.." Fives responded before he regarded her. "Wait... did she do this to you?" he inquired as he finished the last of his food. "You used to love wine and booze... how come that changed.... ?" it was mostly a rhetorical question. "Someone mindrubbed you... its the only thing that makes any sense.."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Zara asked with confusion.

"Bad... it means they didn't let you decide for yourself... they... used you." he paused. "Elizabeth... this... is your doing."

Zara's only response was rubbing her temples in frustration.

Fives regarded her. "We'll fix this... make it right.." he turned to Duval. "Thank you Sergent Major. My compliments." as he handed him two bars of latinum. "For your guys... and this... wonderful dinner."

"Thank you Fives.. I'll pass it along."

Fives turned to Zara. "I need to look into this matter... and you should head up to the bridge... check in with Jake and the like."

"I shall... and thank you for the dinner," Zara smiled brightly for she had a wonderful time.

"Your welcome Zara." Fives responded before the two went their separate ways. Duval watching carefully.