Cargo Curiosity

[xPrivate Tara Mack]

Technically, she did have permission to be in the cargo bay. However, she still felt like she was sneaking around. The bait had been set for her by the Colonel and she felt its draw.

"Need some help," a man asked, carrying a box on his shoulder.

"Thank you, no," Tara said, "I am just making sure the area is secure." He nodded and went about his business. "Wait..." she said, beckoning him back, "can you tell me where the recent Marine equipment is being stored." He laughed and pointed to the huge mass of boxes and tarp-covered mounds, "how can you miss it?" She smirked at him and waved him off. He kept chuckling as he walked away.

She stood in front of the monstrosity of goodies, her heart beating a little faster. What harm would there be if she took just a tiny look under a tarp? Her hand reached out as if pulled by an invisible force...

Tag Any

[First Lieutenant Yadira]

Yadira checked on the sentries left to watch the cargo bay and was told someone had come through. Definitely a Marine but someone unknown. She wanted to kill him. Her temper must have shown through by the way he flinched... well she did bare her teeth at him.

Pulling a small hand phaser from her belt she set to stun and entered the bay. She prowled her way in until she saw the back of a female Marine moving toward some of the recent shipment. She talked to Private Swanson who didn’t seem to take security seriously aboard ship. Well she’d make sure he did next time.

"I am just making sure the area is secure." He nodded and went about his business. "Wait..." she said, beckoning him back, "can you tell me where the recent Marine equipment is being stored." He laughed and pointed to the huge mass of boxes and tarp-covered mounds, "how can you miss it?"

Yadira rounded the corner of the rack and leaned against it her arms crossed but the phaser still in her hand should it be needed.

“Marine!” she bellowed and Swanson whipped around… he knew the voice of his Lieutenant.

“Shit” she heard him say. As the other turned she gave her a rather nasty Klingon grin “And just what do you think you’re doing in here?” she asked. She didn’t care what rank this woman pulled. Unless she was invited with either Dameon, the Colonel or the Ships' Captain she had no reason at all to be right here right now.

Tag Tara/any

[xPrivate Tara Mack]

"Marine!"

Tara immediately whipped around. "Damn," she thought.

“And just what do you think you’re doing in here?”

"Ma'am... Sir...," Tara said, obviously flustered. She took a breath, calming herself. "Making sure the area is secure, Sir," she said, settling on one particular title. The woman's tone demanded respect, so she was obviously above Tara.

She heard the guy with the box chuckle again from across the room but she didn't dare break eye contact with her superior to look in his direction. Knowing she was in the wrong, she waited without another word. She knew the woman could see right through her pathetic excuse and she cursed her curiosity. What a way to start this tour.

Tag Yadira

[First Lieutenant Yadira]

Yadira looked the woman up and down. She seemed competent from the condition of her gear but in the wrong place at the wrong time. Therefore, unlucky. She remembered the face from the Celebration and she’d been near the Klingon and the Lieutenant hump’s-a-lot, whatever his name was. So she might have heard something. Not only that… she was Dameon’s type. Or the type he liked to schmooze up to if he got the chance. Not that he’d been anywhere near her while Yadira had observed him. On the contrary he’d been stalking the Captain.

“"Ma'am... Sir...," Tara said, obviously flustered. She took a breath, calming herself. "Making sure the area is secure, Sir,"

She didn’t believe it for a moment. “Dameon tease you about new toys?” she asked just to get a rise. She walked close but not in reach.

“Swanson” she yelled and he came running. “Escort this Marine out of this cargo bay.” She ordered. Then to the private she said “I wouldn’t come back without either Dameon or your Colonel if I were you. It’s liable to be… dangerous for you next time.”

She stood feet spread and arms akimbo as she scowled and watched them move toward the exit, lucky she was in a good mood from the party.

Swanson was in for an earful when he got back.

Tag any

[xPrivate Tara Mack]

“Dameon tease you about new toys?”

"No ma'am," she said. He was just being creepy. She also didn't add that it was the Colonel who had mentioned them.

“I wouldn’t come back without either Dameon or your Colonel if I were you. It’s liable to be… dangerous for you next time.”

Her eyes narrowed at the woman. Was that a threat? "Sir... Yes Sir," she said as Swanson put his hand behind her upper arm. She resisted the urge to shrug it away.

As they passed the man who had carried the box earlier, he looked at her and smiled.

"This is not my day," Tara muttered. Swanson chuckled and patted her on the shoulder in a friendly way as she stepped over through the door. "Good luck," she said to the man.

Tara stood in the hallway, her back and head against the wall. "Let's see," she thought, "I can go back to the party and watch the bunnies, or I can go to my quarters and meet my roommate." She grimaced.

End Tara

[xDameon Ropalski]

Dameon walked into the relative quiet of Cargo Bay Two, and eyed the infamous pile of...

He tilted his head, walked up, and picked up the edge of the tarp, flashing his ID to silence the protests of a very sheepish-looking Corporal Swanson. He pursed his lips.

Field rations. Secret technology, truly. How do they manage to make them taste so damned bad? They must replicate a replicator.

He shrugged. Yet another piece of technology he had no interest in whatsoever.

Hearing a familiar voice echo around the corner angrily, he grinned.

There's Yadira.

He turned the corner, "Hello, beautiful. Thrashing about the NCO's already?"

Tag: Yadira

[First Lieutenant Yadira]

She heard footfall before he spoke "Hello, beautiful. Thrashing about the NCO's already?"

She shook her head and smiled and turned "I do not know why you insist on calling me that when you have no intention of initiating mating." usually he was fairly straightforward in dealing with marines even if he was a trifle creepy to other humans. Yet he seemed to take a personal delight in tweaking her for some reason.

"No matter what is stored here, the guard was entailed with security he did not apply." she stared dispassionately at him. "orders are orders are they not?"

Tag Dameon

[xDameon Ropalski]

He simply laughed, and side-stepped her question. He couldn't answer it with either a straight face or a clean conscience.

"I heard one of the complement was prodding around our mess rations. Mack?" He raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for her to confirm his guess.

"Oh, well. Glad to see we've a lively bunch this time... Funny she wouldn't think to try the locked and guarded door. Probably thought these were the second-string toys." He affected a shrug, grinning.

"Speaking of toys... I need to get the CO, XO, Richards, and the CAG here for oh nine hundred tomorrow morning, regardless of hangovers. You should probably put warning out tonight so they won't drink too much. I'd like them clear-headed for the little show we're to put on." His grin turned mischevious.

"I think they'll enjoy, don't you?"

Tag: Yadira

[First Lieutenant Yadira]

"I heard one of the complement was prodding around our mess rations. Mack?"

She looked at him a moment in evaluation. "I do not know." she said, "I did not obtain her designation. She was a marine Private. I would assume belonging to the other Platoon as I am unfamiliar with her."

At his next comment she frowned "She tried the softer target. That was a good decision on her part. It just doesn't matter what's here in the hold it was off limits at the time she arrived."

"Speaking of toys... I'd like them clear-headed for the little show we're to put on." She didn't think the Captain appeared to be a drinker and she didn't know the others but she would send a message as requested.

"I think they'll enjoy, don't you?"

She thought they would, he had developed some unique and effective weapons. She certainly enjoyed killing things with them, even if she did preferr her mek'leth.

"When does our unit join with the Marine Command" she asked point blank.

Tag Dameon

[xDameon Ropalski]

Dameon tilted his head, slightly, and tapped his lips contemplatively, "...Let's do the briefing tomorrow. Walk with me," he began, and walked toward Cargo Two's doors. Once in the hallway outside, he turned toward Cargo One, scanning his handprint with the Marine guards to be allowed inside. He motioned for Yadira to follow.

"I'm thinking, once the overall briefing is done, we'll show them the..." He stopped a moment, thoughtfully, and quickly began rearranging his perfectly ordered, nearly barren desk. He absently lifted a small book, and opened it, though he didn't even glance at the pages, "Let's say the MFLR and Shock Maul, for now. Start things off easy." He smirked. "We'll give them the harder stuff later."

He eyed the open expanse of hanger, and the distant targets set up in front of an angled titanium plate, with a pad of ballistic gel at the base of the plate, to catch the downward ricochet of any bullets fired.

"Crates two and six, if I recall. Pop 'em for me?" He asked rhetorically, with the weight of a whimsical order. He smiled at the firing range, and sighed happily.

"Should be a fun day."

Tag: Yadira

[First Lieutenant Yadira]

She walked with Dameon from Cargo Bay two to Cargo Bay one..

"I'm thinking, once the overall briefing is done, we'll show them the... Let's say the MFLR and Shock Maul, for now. Start things off easy." He smirked. "We'll give them the harder stuff later."

She nodded approving his choice of the available weapons.

"Crates two and six, if I recall. Pop 'em for me?"

She moved to crate two and palming the lock hit the release. The sigh of equalizing air pressure indicated the sealed nature of it's contents. Moving to numbers six she obtained the same result. She stood aside for Dameon to inspect the contents.

"Should be a fun day." he smiled and she smiled back at him.

She stood at ease her eyes scanning the bay habitually even though they were in a secure area it always paid to be alert.

Tag Dameon

[xDameon Ropalski]

Dameon smirked quietly, inspecting the arrangement of the hold.

"Well, ah... Alright, then. See you at oh nine hundred, Yadira? I'll set things up in here."

"Dismissed for the night," he chuckled, knowing her penchant for following orders to the letter. Even if it meant sacrificing a backpack full of technology.

His smile twitched at the corners, like it always does when he's thinking about it.

He waved her off slightly, and walked into the giant crate emblazoned with the number six, humming to himself quietly.

Tag Yadira, then end!

[First Lieutenant Yadira]

"Well, ah... Alright, then. See you at oh nine hundred, Yadira? I'll set things up in here."

"Dismissed for the night,"

"Yes Mr. Ropalski." she said turning on her heel and moving off into the semi darkness of the farthest reaches of the hold. She turned again before leaving to observe him in one of the crates humming to himself. He was odd no matter what species and puzzled her. She couldn't be certain but she thought he liked it that way.

Shaking her head she checked out with the sentry at the door.

Shortly she was back in her quarters. The only other occupant was asleep so she remained quiet as she put off the dress and wore a simple shirt and shorts to climb into her bed after securing her kit.

End Yadira