LtJG Hiro Jones - Call the Law Offices of Jones and Lorana
notyourfrog
(( Cait Detention Facility, Cell 3 ))
The good: they were alive, B'rett and his cronies hadn't shredded them, they'd seen a ton of amazing things today, and they were relatively safe.
The bad: they were being detained, a senior officer would probably have to bail them out, there would almost certainly be a reprimand of some level, and Hiro was still hungry.
Jones: What happens now? Will they release us or will we have to be ... collected by someone from the Artemis?
Lorana: ::nervous:: I think a superior officer will need to come and get us ::nerves turn to fury:: I'm going to slice B'rett's head off the next time I see him!
It probably wasn't the best course of action to discuss intent to kill within earshot of law enforcement officers, but most rational people would chalk that up to adrenaline and nerves. He hoped. Either way, Hiro - more specifically: his stomach - changed the subject to something more benign.
Jones: Think I could ask the guard for a sandwich or something?
They say laughter is the best medicine. The tension in the air lost its grip as Luxa let out a laugh. Hiro smiled, still kind of curious about the possibility of a sandwich, but grateful she was at very least thinking of something other than vengeance.
Lorana: On our next adventure, I'm bringing lunch with me.
MacKenzie: I wouldn’t count on it.
Oh boy. Hiro stood to attention, adhering to protocol as best he could under the current circumstances.
Lorana: Sir, it's you, erm I mean. Hi. No I actually mean sorry.
Jones: ::eyes straight ahead:: Commander.
MacKenzie stared at them, arms crossed. Hiro remained rigid until given permission to assume another posture. In his mind, there was nothing completely unforgivable here, but it was always best not to act unduly casual in the presence of a superior officer (especially one's CO) who hadn't yet come to that same conclusion.
MacKenzie: Which one of you wants to start?
Lorana: ::here goes:: We were sightseeing and well we got hungry. We decided to go to a local restaurant to get some food and … ::Getting angry again:: It wasn't our fault, a local ::hisses the name out:: B'rett started trouble. The officers wouldn't listen to us when we tried to explain.
Jones: That's most of it, yes.
The Commander rolled her eyes and gestured for them to continue. If that was most of it, she clearly wanted the rest.
Lorana: It all got out of hand too quickly.
Jones: We attempted to de-escalate the situation, sir, but our backs were against the counter, they were between us and the exit, and refused to either let us leave or stop their aggressive behavior.
MacKenzie: Response
Lorana: ::defiant, angered:: I don't think we deserve to be here ::looks to Hiro:: Hiro definitely didn't do anything, if anyone has to get into bother then it should be me. I was the one who took us to that place, I knew B'rett, I used my claws. Hiro was just trying to be a good friend to me.
Luxa crossed her own arms defiantly. Hiro saw the situation turning sour if he didn't intervene. He believed there was enough factual evidence to not only defend but also justify both their actions and severity therein. He finally broke his attentive stance by turning to directly face the Commander, meeting her steely glare with his own placid one.
Jones: Commander, permission to speak freely.
MacKenzie: Response
Jones: When we entered the establishment, the group of locals spotted Luxa, clearly recognizing her. I didn't think anything of it, since she'd told me she'd grown up in the area. If we have any fault here, it was me not picking up on the aggressiveness behind their stares when we came in.
Lorana: Response
He cut through her sentence
Jones: Please let me finish, Ensign.
He HATED pulling rank, but this was important. She was emotionally vested in the situation that landed them in this pickle. He had the training and experience to stay detached (to a point).
Jones: When they approached out seats, it was pretty clear they weren't old friends looking to catch up. We offered to leave. That wasn't an option they wanted to entertain. I tried to clearly discourage a conflict, suggesting they go back to playing dabo. They rejected that suggestion as well. When the claws came out, I prepared to react. I must be clear, sir: we did not strike first.
MacKenzie: Response
Jones: Yes, sir. I threw exactly one punch. It was a center mass punch in hopes of discouraging escalation, but by then adrenaline had taken over in B'rett's system, and his gang leapt to his defense. That's when Luxa - the only one of the two of us with the natural abilities to match our attackers - sprang into action. She took, in my estimation, exactly the correct amount of force to end the conflict. Her measures were controlled, nonlethal, and effective. After she struck, B'rett and the rest lost interest in us.
MacKenzie: Response
Lorana: Response
Ok, now was the time for closing remarks. Depending on how this next bit went, their day could go a couple different ways.
Jones: Permission to ask a relevant question, sir.
MacKenzie: Response
Jones: How many photon torpedos does the Artemis carry?
MacKenzie: Response
Jones: And how many phaser banks does she boast?
MacKenzie: Response
Jones: Starfleet has authorized command of the Artemis to utilize this incredibly destructive armament at its discretion in the name and furthering of peace, correct?
MacKenzie: Response
Jones: I promise this is relevant. As a doctor, you know I possess knowledge that would enable me to kill or debilitate very efficiently. I am also trained in pugilistic and other forms of martial arts in addition to standard Starfleet hand-to-hand combat techniques. Ensign Lorana and I engaged these hoodlums in a manner in keeping with Federation allowances of force for the sake of promoting and maintaining peace in a conflict. If I was wrong in this, as the ranking officer present, I take full responsibility, but I believe our actions were both measured and warranted. Sir.
He stood back to attention, waiting for the hammer to fall. He wanted to glance over at Luxa, but couldn't risk the respectful posture to his commanding officer. His heart was beating like a drum as the seconds passed before the woman on the other side of the bars spoke.
MacKenzie: Response
Tags/TBC
E239510KD0
"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one." - Marcus Aurelius