Passing Encounter

Posted on Tue Feb 25th, 2020 @ 4:13pm by Jillian "Phoenix" Sullivan

Mission: Mission 15: Old Ghosts
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1330Hrs, December 6th, 2390

In the small Operations office Lieutenant Kurzkai and Ensign Xorch were working away at their PADDs.

Ensign Xorch, a Tellarite female, looked up at Kurzkai. "Ah Lieutenant, the elevators in the hanger bay still aren't functioning in required parameters." Xorch told Kurzkai.

"Well Ensign, report it to engineering." Kurzkai replied.

"Did that already. They say it's functioning correctly. That means it might be an operating systems problem. We have to go look at it." Xorch informed her.

"Okay, so why don't you go down and fix it then?" Kurzkai asked.

"I'd rather not go down there. That's where Phoenix is." Xorch told her.

"So you don't want to perform your duties because of this 'Phoenix' person? I'm sorry, you'll have to do better than that Ensign." Kurzkai told Xorch.

"Your new here Lieutenant. You haven't dealt with her. She can be difficult to work for. She even called me 'Porky'. I'd rather not run into her again." Xorch explained.

"You get into arguments with everybody Ensign. Your typical of you kind. I fail to see how she could be that bad." Kurzkai told her.

"Please Lieutenant. Can you go instead?" Xorch asked.

Kurzkai let out a big sigh. "Very well. If she is so caustic even a Tellarite would notice I guess I can go instead." Kurzkai.

Xorch gave a rare act of contrition "Thank you."

Kurzkai picked up her PADD and tools. She headed to the turbo lifts then to the hanger. The hanger was a busy place with pilots and ground crew moving about. She arrived at the access panel to the elevators. Kurzkai ran a quick diagnostic.

"Oh, the operating system just needs a quick reboot." She told herself. She attached the PADD to the control panel and waited for the process to finish.

"Who let you in the fleet?" Phoenix asked rather shortly as she walked up to the Cardassian. She was in her pilot's suit with it sipped down to her waist. A sky-blue tank on underneath.

The question caught Kurzkai off guard. Kurzkai looked at Phoenix's rank. She occasionally got odd looks or comments from older officers or NCOs. None of them, however, were as direct as Phoenix.

"Probably the same people who let you into Star Fleet Colonel." Kurzkai stated without any emotion.

"I'm here due to indentured servitude. Can' really speak for you," Phoenix retorted rather darkly.

Kurzkai was again a little taken aback. "I didn't know Star Fleet practiced such things. You could do worse I assume. I'm here because I don't want to return to the Cardassian Union." She told the pilot.

"Don' your folks like relish the rape and slaughter of worlds that don' belong to ya?" Phoenix spoke rather angrily.

"I assume your referring to my Cardassian heritage?" Kurzkai responded. "I left the Cardassian Union when I was eight. I hardly relished rape and slaughter." Kurzkai stated. "Besides, the Cardassians were simply responding to terrorist acts by fringe separatist factions."

"At least us terrorists never wavered from our beliefs," Phoenix spoke darkly, her metal fist starting to bend a part of the metal door frame. "What is it now? You spoonheads changed sides three times in the last twenty years, because you can' fend for yourselves when your outnumbered."

"Spoonhead, oh good for you. You know a pejorative that has been floating around the Federation for twenty years." Kurzkai told Phoenix. Tamtha figured this women for the Phoenix that Ensign Xorch didn't want to encounter. Kurzkai found her a bit caustic and kept watching her PADD for the process to finish. "I'm not defending anything the Cardassians may have done. Why you support terrorist activity is your own business."

"One man's terrorist is another man's hero," Phoenix shrugged aside. "When you've lost everythin' around ya and the government don' rightly care? You'll understand why it is I don't like your folk."

Kurzkai had no love for the Cardassian government or people. She did think it would be a waste of time trying to explain that to Phoenix. "Okay noted: Your hate Cardassians." Tamtha unattached her PaDD from the control panel. "Is there any other 'folk' I should be aware that you hate?" Kurzkai asked.

"Tane. Starfleet. The Federation," Phoenix began listing off her fingers rather sardonically.

Kurzkai finished up and picked up her PADD. "Well, at least you'll stand up for terrorists. Your family must be proud." Tamtha told Phoenix.

"Very proud. My mother ran one of the major militias, and then the cell that caused your spoonhead kindred to run away in fear," Phoenix retorted with much anger. "Guess that's why you aint rejoined with your kin. You don' mean anythin' to them. What with wearin' their enemies clothes on your back."

"So your mother was a terrorist? That explains a lot." Kurzkai told Phoenix with a snarl on her lips. "The Maquis was made up of thieves, rapists, and other petty criminals. Anybody with that group deserve to be imprisoned or cleansed."

That did it. Phoenix snapped in a rather severe way, and began to pound on the Cardassian with her real, left fist repeatedly. Mostly in the face area, but occasionally in the stomach for good measure.

Kurzkai screamed and put her arms up to defend her face. That was when Phoenix aimed her prosthetic very accurately at the Cardassian and punched her so hard on her arms, that you could hear the bones shatter from across the deck.

Before phoenix could land another hit with her right hand again, a massive, almost rock like hand grabbed it, completely immobilizing it. Phoenix looked over her shoulder, to see the massive Briker Senior Chief Varkon Zevai, standing behind her, with a solid hand on her prosthetic arm. "That's enough," Varkon said in a low but calm rumble," I think you have made your point, no need to go to jail for murder."

Kurzkai was still on her side, whimpering. She spit blood from her mouth. "Someone please beam me to sick bay." She asked in a weak, broken voice.

It took several long moments before Phoeinx was calmed herself, oddly enough via soaking in the sounds of Kurzkai's misery. It was a symphony to her hears, with was enough of a joy to bring Phoenix off her psychotic high.

She simply tapped her combadge with her free hand and spoke, "Sullivan to Dvald? Beam the Cardassian bitch to sickbay." And her blue eyes stared harshly at the injured woman. "And you stay the fuck out of my hangar deck."

After Kurzkai disappeared, Varkon let Phoenix's arm go. He knew that Phoenix was a Maquis, and that she hated Cardassians with a passion, and that he was unlikely to be able to change that attitude. He had seen what war does to people, so he fully understood Phoenix's situation. So all he did was say," you look like you need some time to wind down, there is a minibar in Anastasiya's office, want a drink."

"I'd love one," Phoenix agreed, forcibly taking a few breaths, if only to try to maintain that calm.