[JP] RAdm. Reynolds, LtCmdrs Neathler and Marshall - Goodness Gracious Eight Balls of Fire (Part II)
Jo Marshall
((Sto’Vo’Kor, Crew Lounge, Deck 9))
Before Samira accepted the pool cue, her right hand automatically reached for her gloves and in a matter of seconds, the leather fabric covered her hands, except for her fingertips. Only then she reached for the cue, a grin on her features, nodding thanks to Jo. At least the cue ball was easy to locate, she had spotted the white ball in one of the pockets as she had done the brief tour around the table.
A few seconds later, the cue ball reappeared on the table at the starting point, which would make it trickier to pot the striped three. She took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders and clearing her mind. Trying to convince herself she was just playing some pool with her brothers and not the highest-ranked officers on the ship.
She took her position, lined the cue with the white ball and the target ball, and gave it her best shot. The striped three barely made it to the pocket and disappeared. Yet she had ticked the white ball a bit too gently, the cue ball rolled slowly until it courteously stopped and wiggled itself against the five and the seven. She stood up straight and looked at the result, shaking her head.
Neathler: Well, that didn’t go as planned.
Tilting her head to the side as she regarded the balls both potted and not, Jo chuckled and took a swig from her beer bottle. A satisfied small sigh escaped as she looked up to Sami with a grin, Quinn reaching for her bottle of root beer between shots.
Marshall: El Comandante here will already be calculating the trajectory and geometric arc she needs to pot the next one.
Reynolds: And the all-important velocity. ::Quinn shot a grin at the pair, moving around the table to position herself for her shot.:: Don't worry about it. It's as much an initiation rite as it is a game of pool.
Velocity, Samira couldn’t shake the feeling the Admiral was somehow having a go at her first shot with that comment. She took a few steps away from the table so that anyone could walk around it and have an overall view...
Neathler: Initiation rite? Are you starting a senior staff pool club?
She knew about social clubs existing among the lower deck crew, and she was pretty sure similar clubs existed among the officers too, but seeing she didn’t contribute much to group activities, she wasn’t up to date with those.
Marshall: Technically, we started one. ::She scratched her cheek and leaned her hip against the table, pointing the bottle of beer toward Quinn.:: Then our third left, so we’ve got an opening.
Quinn found her shot, leaning over the edge of the table to line it up. Cue ball smacked into its target with a sharp crack, rolling away to thud into the cushions, while the other sunk into a pocket with a satisfying thud. She straightened, cast her eye over the new alignment of their battlefield, then looked toward the brunette.
Reynolds: How about it? The Gorkon's in need of a new Second Officer and you're the first name on our list.
About to return the pool cue to Jo so the blonde could make the next shot if she ever had the chance, Samira dropped the wooden cue as the words of the Admiral seeped through. They were kidding, right? She kneeled down to pick up the stick, and when she raised, she looked from the Admiral, towards Jo, back to the Admiral who grinned right back in an undisguised show of amusement.
Neathler: Me?
She could think of plenty of names, plenty of persons with more experience and older than herself that would suit for the position that was now open after Genkos’ transfer. Names like Whittaker, who had commandeered a ship before; Nkai who usually sat in the centre seat when the Senior Staff were away; Sevo, who had been the First Officer before; Erin, who had a lot more experience than Samira; all came to mind. Confusion etched on her features, she looked down at the pool cue in her hands, before handing it over to Jo, who took it with a grin.
Marshall: You.
Reynolds: One day I'll offer someone the post, and they won't look at me like they think I'm out of my mind. ::Her eyebrows lifted, humour colouring her voice.:: One day.
Marshall: But that, ::she pointed the pool cue over the table, like a jousting lance,:: is not this day.
Still speechless, Samira looked at the point of the cue now pointing at her, accusingly, then to the amused look on the Admiral’s face. Were they pulling a joke here? In all her time, ever since she graduated from the Academy, she had hardly sought for contact between the higher ranks. Even when she reached lieutenant commander, she felt closer to those of the lower ranks.
And yet here she just received an invitation to become the Second Officer of the ship, not just any ship, the flagship of the task force. She hardly even knew what the job entailed. With James gone, she was alone in guiding her own department and as Second Officer she figured she would have to be present with even more meetings and making decisions that concerned the entire ship instead of just a department.
Neathler: But why me? I mean, ::Her hand reached to the back of her head, ruffling her short hair just briefly before she lowered it.:: I’ve never given any indication of… ::She paused briefly.:: I hardly have any experience.
On the other hand, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. A privilege that, if she’d say no, might never happen again. Wasn’t this what she wanted? Something she had earned and accomplished herself, without the help of her family?
Marshall: Two years as an officer on the flagship of the Tyrellian Taskforce, and one year of that as the acting Chief of Security and Tactical… ::The blonde scratched the back of her neck with a quick click of the tongue, then leaned her hip on the pool table, punctuating her speech with adequate gestures of the beer bottle.:: You’ve got an impeccable record, Sami. Strength to strength all the way through. When Quinn asked me who I thought it should be, there really was only one.
A swig of the beer bottle later and she was ordering another round from the bar, recalling a conversation the two had on Giáng Sinh many moons ago, and how Samira had then seemed like a deer in the headlights. Granted, they were stealing some of Soup’s tequila to “ward off the cold”, and doing so with the Chief of Security might have been a conflict of interest, but still hilarious.
Marshall: You’re always prepared for department meetings, I’ve never had to chase you for anything so much as a written record on someone joining...
Reynolds: If it's any consolation, few people feel completely ready for it, so don't let that stop you. ::Her lips twitched, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.:: One day I'll tell you a story about how I went from leading a cosy department to being First Officer to over a hundred thousand people.
A hundred thousand people, at least the Gorkon crew, only had a population of six hundred people. Samira gave it some thought. She never had walked away from a challenge before. The only difference this time was that there was more at stake. Both the Admiral and Jo thought she was ready for it, otherwise, they wouldn’t have made the suggestion. Now all she had to do was convince herself. She inhaled deeply, letting out her breath slowly as she nodded.
Neathler: It’s a huge step, and there’s only one way to find out if I’m suited. ::She looked at both of them.:: Very well, I accept. ::She smiled briefly.:: And I’d like to hear that story one day, si… Quinn.
The brunette smiled with a small nod of approval, while Jo was a little more overt in her delight. The blonde beamed with a grin mid swallow, but that didn’t stop both arms going out to the side in a victory lift. They had time to go through all the ins and outs and routine changes in the coming weeks of shore leave, but for that moment, the three of them stood around the pool table under the dim lights of the Sto’Vo’Kor lounge, the future looked a little brighter.
Marshall: That’s the spirit! Welcome to the team, Sami. ::Shaking the dwindling beer bottle in her hand, she let out a small happy sigh.:: I think we need another round or two in celebration.
Reynolds: Sounds like you just volunteered to me.
She waggled her almost-empty bottle in the blonde's direction. Jo narrowed her eyes playfully to the Admiral, trying and failing to contain the amused smile stamped on her features, and waved to get the attention of the stewards.The wonderful thing about having the Admiral with them in the lounge was the care and attention given by ship stewards, at least it was in the beginning. They were far too used to the two rocking up for a game these days, content to let them play on without checking in every two seconds if everything was alright, or if they needed more ice for the burns dished out in either direction.
Neathler: Maybe between the two of us, we can find a strategy to defeat the Champion of Pool?
She raised a quizzical eyebrow towards Jo who grinned back, mischief evident in blue.
Marshall: Diving in head first, I like it. Told you, you were made for the job.
Reynolds: This must be what mutiny feels like.
Marshall: Only if you’re lucky.
TBC
--
Rear Admiral Quinn Reynolds
Commanding Officer
USS Gorkon
T238401QR0
&
Lieutenant Commander Samira Neathler
Chief of Security & Tactical
Second Officer
USS Gorkon
G239508SN0
&
Lt. Commander Jo Marshall
First Officer
USS Gorkon, NCC-82293
G239304JM0