Snipe Hunt

Posted on Fri Mar 15th, 2019 @ 12:13pm by Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Commander Rita Paris & Death

Mission: Gaia Reborn
Location: USS Hera, Deck 8, VIP quarters #13
Timeline: 2396

Onboard the United Federation of Planets starship the USS Hera, all members of the Security and Tactical team served in guard duty from time to time. There was a posting at the turbolift that could access the Intel pod, as it was a restricted area on the starship. Main Engineering on Deck 23 had three different guard rotations, stationed there in case of trouble at the mighty starship’s very core. There were also two VIP quarters on Deck 8 outside of which had a 24-hour guard posting on them. One held the goddess Hera, which many of the Security personnel had their doubts about. The other held apparently no one at all, as every shift was required to take tricorder readings on a security sweep once per shift, and no one and nothing was there.

Thus this mid-shift on the starship Hera found the Will’I’ms sister, V’Nus and S’Rina, arguing outside the empty quarters between one another, over the duty they perceived as unnecessary, pointless and beneath them.

Standing stoically, V'Nus kept her attention ahead of her as she pulled out the tricorder out of its small holster on the side of her hip and handed it to her sister. "It is your turn."

The taller sister eyed her fellow guardian with barely concealed disdain. “This is not warrior’s work. Scanning is for scientists and engineers, not a warrior born. What have you done to bring such dishonor upon our house that the Commander has relegated us to this insipid and mundane task?” Petty Officer 3rd class S’Rina grumbled in their native Klingon tongue.

Holding the tricorder out at her side that much closer to her irate sister, V'nus replied dryly. "I would not know, seeing as how I performed the scans and logged them as ordered when it was my turn without complaint. Every officer in our department has been tasked thusly, Sister. That makes the task our duty, regardless of it irritates you or not."

The calmer of the two tilted her head slightly toward her simmering sibling with the slightest hint of what only a Klingon would see as a smile. "Now SCAN... or do you wish to bring actual dishonor to us by disobeying our Commanders orders?"

Glaring daggers at her older sister, who always seemed to get the better of her in such disagreements, S’Rina growled her answer as she snatched the tricorder from her shorter sibling. “It is a fool’s errand! We scan for nothing, for there is nothing there. We stand guard outside empty quarters, wasting our time and talents when we could be doing so much more.” Noting that her sister was, as she tended to do through such diatribes from her more vocally complaining guardsman, simply waiting patiently, S’Rina turned to punch in her security code into the door panel to unseal the hatch.

“Useless waste of time,” she grumbled as she turned on the tricorder and moved about the empty and untouched quarters, that were obviously bereft of any presence, physical or psychic, aside from the glowering Klingon warrior in the mustard-colored Starfleet uniform. When she had completed the scan, which showed nothing, of course, she filed the report and made the entry into the log. Stepping back outside again, she tossed the tricorder at her annoying calm sibling.

“The thing is done,” S’Rina grumbled. “These decadent and oversized quarters are once again proven to be free of anything interesting, so that we may continue to guard it like unworthy Targs at the door to their master’s chambers.”

Catching the tricorder, V'Nus calmly tucked it back in its place and folded her arms behind her back. "I've never seen Targs this... what is the human's word for it... yappy. You go on like one of their tiny little dogs, barking at the wind."

Then, pausing for a moment, she continued. "You know as well as I that this ship is like no other. Even within the Empire, there is no ship that is host to as many wonders. Just yesterday, we stood guard at the doors of a goddess. This room receives visitors. We have seen Lieutenant Dox and Doctor Dael enter with trays of food and leave empty handed."

“There is no miracle there, soft-headed fool,” S’Rina shot back. “They choose to take advantage of the empty quarters for somewhere private to dine, for whatever reason they choose. And the human woman is no goddess, she is just an intelligence asset. Do not be fooled by these explanations the officers use to validate their behaviors. The soft-skins always try to justify their plans with outlandish explanations, when simple truth would work better.”

“Compare me to a yappy little dog again and you will find out just how hard this dog bites,” the Amazonian Klingon woman finished, still standing at parade rest as she did so.

Ignoring her sister’s threat entirely, V'Nus instead commented on the prior dismissal. "Of course. Because when I wish to dine in private, I always take my food slightly down the corridor to a nearly identical room so as to add the vitally important layer of a security screening to my meal."

“They are officers. Who knows what they are truly doing. Is there anything in these quarters? No. Do scans reveal anything? No. Does it stand to reason that somehow the officers have something going on here? Quite probably. Will the likes of us ever know? I doubt that very much,” S’Rina was quick to dismiss anything that did not suit her particular worldview, and this situation clearly qualified. While she was fond of questioning nonsensical orders, puzzles and mysteries were not her forte.

"Very well, then..." V'Nus replied with an exasperated sigh. "What task would you prefer we be doing at this exact moment that would be worthy of your time?"

Without hesitation, the tall Klingon woman began listing off better uses for their time. “Training the other security officers in hand to hand or weapons training, as so few of them seem to have a passion for such things. Weight training to grow stronger. Endurance training. Combat drills. Fighting through combat simulations in the armory. Practicing zero-G maneuvering to overcome our natural aversion to it. Sitting through a mission briefing for our next mission. Studying for the next petty officer examination. Field stripping our weapons. Customizing and reinforcing our battle armor. Just to name a few.”

An easy question with plenty of answers made S’Rina feel quite self-satisfied.

In spite of enjoying smugly contradicting her more hair-trigger sister for the reaction, V'Nus let out a slightly resigned sigh. "While I too would rather be doing something more... active... this is our duty. and we are honor bound to fulfill that duty. I would not object to any or all of those activities upon the completion of our shift."

"Well, there is that to look forward to then," S'Rina replied, then silence held sway for a moment. "I saw the Commander and the little Lieutenant in the armory, both armored but lacking heavy weaponry. I believe they were going to combat train. Why do you suppose it is that the Commander does not train with us?"

"It would be... inappropriate to make suppositions regarding the motives of our superior officer. She is our Commander and we have both seen her lead the charge in the heat of battle against the Valkyrie. That is enough for me. Perhaps one day she will choose to honor us in training with her." V'Nus was clearly curious herself but was working to maintain her professional bearing. It was an easier task with the flight officers on the deck, however, than it was with her own sister.

"Perhaps she finds us... wanting. Not yet ready in some way?" Her expression was slightly dour as her imagination went off.

"Hrmph!" S'Rina grunted in reply. "Perhaps she fears our prowess and is afraid we will humble her before her troop. She has seen us fight, so she knows we are stronger, faster and trained from birth in the arts of combat. Perhaps it is not we who are lacking, but she, eh sister?"

At this, V'Nus snapped her head to the side and shot her taller sister a glare. "You forget yourself, sister. This is not the Empire. This is Starfleet, and we have both sworn our loyalty to it and this vessel. And in Starfleet, one must be more than stronger and faster to be in Command. Being a warrior is but one part of a larger picture here. And that is a picture we must learn to see."

"Ah, you refer to the short skirt and those ridiculous breasts, and the constant smiling..." S'Rina began, then realized that glare from her sister meant that she was crossing a line that V'Nus would be honor bound to challenge her to defend the honor of their mutual commander, who S'Rina's words were impugning her honor. "I yield, I yield, sister. Yes, there is more to command here than strength in battle and cunning. My oath is my bond, and I serve, on my honor. But still, I can question, eh? This ship has more mysteries than answers. A Romulan, after all. And the Commander's file says that she is 163 years old. What happened at the base where the Security force turned on itself, where the file is sealed? Why is every woman on this vessel a lesbian?!?"

"All that means is the entire ship is open for sexual conquest, sister. Or does your warrior spirit not extend quite that far? I know you do not shrink from a little competition?" V'Nus replied with a hearty laugh from deep in her chest.

"I have yet to see a male I would consider capable of surviving foreplay, including on our own team. Most of the rest are scientists and engineers or healers, and they are all so... so soft and pink and squishy. I have yet to find a male worthy of my time on this assignment. Unless there is a great warrior in Operations I have yet to encounter. I could look it up..." S'Rina started reaching for her handheld tablet, but stopped herself. "Qo'. Not on duty. Vigilant."

"Indeed. The best warriors on this ship are clearly female. It is interesting, indeed, but if there is a male on this ship worthy of your attention, I do not doubt your hunting prowess to find him, sister." As V'Nus spoke, she contemplated the rest of what her sister had said.

"As for the rest, if we are meant to know the mysteries of this ship, they will be revealed to us. Until then, I am satisfied to do my duty." As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly. "Still... I'd gladly kill a pack of wild targs to find out just what is really in this ba'Qa room."

"I fear these mysteries may be the death of us," S'Rina shuddered, as if Hegh himself had just walked by.

Hegh, the hooded figure with a scythe, the personification of death itself.

Death, who glided past the two guards, swinging back into her assigned quarters on the USS Hera.

Looking at her sister, V'Nus felt the eerie chill herself and the pair went blankly silent as they returned to attention. In the Chambers, Death appeared, stepping through the sealed doors as if they weren't there to return to her new sanctuary.

Having finished with a recent plague, the incarnation of Death took off her new cape with a flourish and rested it on a chair, the gilded lettering on the cowl in clear view of the door so that the next time the two sisters scanned inside they would get the message, 'Can you see me now?' As it was a recent gift from Asa, while she wore it it was invisible, but taking it off, it was visible and likely very creepy.

She then popped open a bottle of fizzy drink and a few cookies that had been left on the table for her and plopped down on the couch. "I swear, those two bicker more than a pair of old ladies... Taxes, remind me to ask for a pen and paper that normal people can see so I can leave a note next time I leave for a few days." At her request, there was a ghostly whinny as if her pale horse was not far off.

"Now to get back to my vacation and watch some more real-life drama..."