Lieutenant Jack Kessler - No Dungeon for You
Joel Cannistraro
((Secured Reflection Suite and Contemplation Cell, Harmony Shores Collaborative Resort))
As the others spoke Jack listened but also kept his head on a swivel, eyeing other people who were eager to check out what was happening. Jack noted any different routes the two could take to try and break away from the Commander and his team. Although Beck had dosed them with a sobering medication Jack didn't put it past De La Croix to try something he deemed stupid. He did not know De La Croix at all, so trying to understand her was more complicated than trying to understand Rox.
Kessler: Commander, perhaps now is a good time to continue this conversation back on the ship. ::nodding to people walking nearby:: Out of the view of unwanted eyes.
Rox: Please? You might want to beam me to my quarters if you don't want a mess in the brig.
Raga: Agreed, Chief. I think these two have embarrassed themselves enough for one day. We will try and help them retain what dignity they can given their current state. If nothing else, Miss Queen. Rox. I think you owe the good doctor an apology.
Beck: Those hangovers are plenty of punishment, as far as I'm concerned.
De La Croix threw up her hands and humphed loudly towards the silken haired man before she turned on a heel and took Roxanne's hand in her own.
De La Croix: Fine, get your pound of flesh if you must! Roxanne, I apologize. I hold you, as both a brilliant medical practitioner and young woman, in the highest regard. The fault was mine, my behavior was abhorrent, and I am grateful you have the grace and wisdom to accept this apology.
Kessler: Aye sir.
Rox: Dr. De La Croix I am very sorry for my behavior and I hope to ::burp:: do a better job in the future.
Beck: Did something die in your mouth?
De La Croix: Leave it to you to spoil a sincere moment of compassion and accountability. Really Beckie, would it kill you to act with even half the maturity this young woman has demonstrated?!
Rox: ::annoyed:: I'm very sorry to have embarrassed the Ronin Commander. If a formal apology would help I'll type one up as soon as my vision is less blurry.
Raga: Noted and appreciated, Rox. I’m sure the locals would appreciate the accountability. ::he tapped his comm badge:: =/\= Raga to Ronin, five to beam up. =/\=
Jack simply watched as De La Croix sighed, and very nearly was unable to stand. He honestly did not know what to think about this person. Why was she like this was the first question that kept floating to the forefront of his lips but he would not ask the question aloud. Not here and certainly not with her in this state.
De La Croix: Ugh thank goodness.
Rox: Ugh thank goodness.
Kessler: ::softly:: I need a vacation.
Beck: Stooges.
((Transporter Room 3, Deck 9, USS Ronin))
Jack had been through the transporter a thousand times by now but the swirling blue glow and the immersion of the transporter beam never seemed to feel routine. It was a sensation that almost always left Jack feeling a bit relaxed, or maybe resolved was the better word. In a few moments they were off the planet and back in the safety of the Ronin. No by-standers. No one to see the stooges as Beck called them get into any more trouble.
Rox: ::flopping down on the transporter pad:: Home sweet home.
Raga: Indeed. Please try not to make a mess on the transporter pad if you can, Rox. I’m sure the chief here would appreciate it.
Jack stepped off the pad as De La Croix extended an unsteady hand to the young woman and ignored the men clustered around them.
De La Croix: Come on dear, we'll make a quick stop by sickbay and then it's right to bed for the both of us. Unlike Beckie here I know how to administer a hypo without poisoning someone. ::She lowered her voice to a friendly whisper:: Besides, it's not like I'm going to leave a friend in this sort of company.
The glare that came from De La Croix could have stripped deuterium from the ships fuel tanks, it was a harsh glare but one Jack shrugged off. Why was she glaring at them with such contempt? After all, she and Rox were the sole stakeholders in the trouble they had caused and were currently in. Perhaps having a mirror handy right now to hold up to her glare would have been prudent. Jack smiled, and made a mental note that a pocket mirror just might be the best defense against De La Croix in the future.
Kessler: Commander, should I keep this out of the official log. ::looking to Rox and Tess:: To preserve their service record as best we can?
Rox: ::smiling at Thess:: Let's do this again next week, but without the fight beforehand.
Raga: Please do. I’d prefer to not have to get anymore calls about fights amongst the crew for a long time. Especially when we have a perfectly functioning Anbo-Jitsu ring. ::turning to Quentin and Jack:: As for what to do about them, I leave that up to you two. Since they’re in your department Quentin, I’m sure you and mister Kessler here can devise an appropriate punishment for when they’ve recovered?
Beck: I'll let Jack handle that one. Giving them the purge was satisfying enough for me, at least for the short term. Just make sure they're ambulatory when they report for duty.
Kessler: I am open to suggestions.
Jack stepped next to Raga and folded his arms across his chest. Jack hated being the bad guy and knew the two women needed to sleep this off but at the same time he was not just the Chief of Tactical anymore, he was the Chief of Security which in all reality meant he had to enforce not only ships safety but he also had to enforce Starfleet and Federation rules and code of conduct. If they had been one of his Security or Tactical officers, they would understand that he did not have the luxury of giving them a break, letting them slide as it were. He had standards on his teams that he held each individual to and he suspected Raga and Beck did as well.
Raga: Oh, I’m sure if the Captain has any suggestions he’ll pass them along. If nothing else I think we still have the plasma manifold toothbrush pattern saved in the replicators.
Beck: Sickbay also has a lotta biofilters that need cleaning.
De La Croix shook her head as she crouched down to help Roxanne back to her feet, scoffing dismissively at the implied and entirely pitiful threats.
De La Croix: Yes yes twenty lashes a piece I'm sure, or are their thumbscrews tucked away in this ship's dungeon somewhere? ::She rolled her eyes and regretted it:: Just do it after we've gotten some sleep, I'm sure it'll be far more gratifying for you big strong men that way.
Jack let the smallest of grin crease his lips as he let his arms drop to his side.
Kessler: No Doctor. Locked away in the dungeon is precisely where you want to be. Out of sight of anyone who get a look at the great De La Croix. I think Dr. Beck's idea to clean all the biofilters in sickbay is perfect. ::turning to Beck:: I recommend a cleaning schedule when Sickbay is fully staffed, to ensure everyone in Sickbay knows, no one steps out of line on the Ronin.
Beck: A match made in hell.
De La Croix: And we all have you to thank for it, Beckie!
Jack's head tilted slightly. De La Croix amazed him. Even now she either did not or maybe she could not accept that she was responsible for her circumstances. Was she unable to see the world as they did? Jack knew that some mental disorders could make it so the patient never saw their own actions as anything but being in the right. Was De La Croix such a person?
Kessler: Oh, part two of your right to stay out of my brig. Counseling sessions for the both of you on our next shore leave.
Jack looked at Raga and Beck and nodded slightly before turning to the doorway. He knew the conversation was over and if not De La Croix would just continue to spout off. Not something he wanted to deal with right then and there, otherwise she most likely would find herself scrubbing the inside of the Torpedo launcher. Something he probably would enjoy seeing but also would never hear the end of.
[End of Scene - Lt. Jack Kessler]