Let's shoot

Posted on Thu Mar 17th, 2022 @ 6:21pm by Captain Etan Kaz & Lieutenant Sabine St. James & Lieutenant Skot Ryder

Mission: 00 -Life on the Line
Location: Corridor F22, Deep Space K-17
Timeline: 7 Days Prior to MD00

There weren't many opportunities or even places that one could shoot on the station. In its prime, the K Class station boasted a number of phaser ranges, and even a stat of the art (for the time) combat simulation range. Now, these activities were confined to makeshift range in an abandoned corridor that led to one of the outboard modules.

In an attempt to not only get out more but also bond with his Chiefs of Security and Tactical, Etan organized some range practice for the trio.

"Been a while since I shot." Etan said. His voice sounded tired. He was sober for the moment, but only because the traders who usually came through hadn't docked in a while.

Skot sat his custom made coffee mug on a near by table and unslung the rifle from his back. "It's just like riding a bike Cap. Just point the shooty end in the direction you want the death beam to go."

"That easy eh?" Kaz asked, unconvinced. "St. James, you much of a shot?"

"I wasn't good at trick shots, but..." Sabine laid out the phasers since she was the one who had to get them out of the Armory.

"...I evidently humiliated a Marine range officer." Sabine shrugged. "I frankly didn't see what the big deal was, but he put a vaguely worded reprimand in my Academy file. It's rather uncomplicated as Mister Ryder puts it..."

Kaz coughed. "We'll see I guess." He perused the weapons laid out by the Security Officer. He selected a Type-2 phaser and checked the settings. "Skot, I don't think I've heard your tale about what landed you on our humble slice of Hell."

"Oh it's a doozy," Skot chuckled. "I was stationed on DS7 and we were playing host to an Admiral who was conducted a first contact mission on board. There was of course a little get together after the ceremony and I met this really attractive young lady." He paused as he sighted in his rifle, "Well one thing led to another and we ended up going back to her quarters and spent the night together. The next morning I get up to leave, open the door and there's the Admiral. Apparently I had spent the night with his daughter and he was not amused in the slightest "

Sabine picked up her rifle and checked it over. A red warning light clicked on and it made a disagreeable alarm noise.

"Mmm. 238912150849...so then..." She said, more to herself than anything. Sabine flipped the rifle upside down and promptly slammed it on the top of the crate they were using as a table. It made the same chirp, and so she slammed it again and then the light turned green.

"There we are." Sabine replied as she flipped the rifle right side up, "Yes, the Admiralty seems to take a rather dim view of such things. Strange, given that sooner or later, it's going to happen. One would think her father would be happy for her. Such is life."

Kaz mumbled, "Damn Admirals." and then cleared his throat. "That'll do it though. We've had more than one comrade sent here for canoodling with the wrong person."

Skot took up position and leveled his rifle, "I don't think that it was me sleeping with his daughter as much as offering him a cup of coffee like it was no big deal."

"Cocky bastard." The Captain's mouth pulled into a smile. "Which Admiral was it?"

Skot fired off the first shot from his rifle, hitting just left of center, "Admiral Hathaway. Apparently his daughter is a prodigy that is working at the Daystrom Institute on some new type of deep space sensor. She still sends me messages from time to time, but I think it's for the best if I don't respond."

The Captain lifted his phaser and aimed. His eyes told him he was right on target, unfortunately that was not the case when he fired his weapon. "Admiral Hathaway has no right to judge anyone. " He shook his head at his shoddy shooting. "He may have tried to seduce Enjima Kaz when he was a newly minted Lieutenant. When she refused him, he tried to force himself on her in a bar."

Skot stepped back to let Sabine take a shot, "And that ladies and gentlemen is why you never piss off a Trill," pointing to his head, "Really long memories."

"....239105289044." Sabine said to herself, "Sir, the emitter is out of sync, pulls to the left."

She then shouldered her rifle and fired three shots in rapid succession. Each one found its mark. She frowned again, "...trigger's sticking again..."

"Also. Can we please change the subject? There are certain things I don't wish to think more on. That is one of them." Sabine said.

"What do you want to talk about then Miss St. James?" His tone was near mocking. He took aim again, keeping in mind her note about the phaser pulling left. This time he met his target. "Yes!"

"Anything that does not involve improprieties such like Admiral Hathaway's." Sabine looked at her rifle as it beeped defiantly at her. She slammed it stock first into the deck plating, "The hearing board for Commander Waycroft didn't want to hear precedent"

"Waycroft?" Kaz asked, setting his phaser aside and sitting down.

"Is that name supposed to mean something?" Skot asked as he took a sip from his mug.

"Only if you were looking at my file." Sabine replied before snapping the rifle back up, once again getting three more shots onto three more targets. "Always the problem with redlined material and inconsistent replicators...trigger is still sticking."

Kaz frowned. It was amazing to him that even after a couple of years serving together, he could still know so little about his crew. A beeping erupted from the Captain's office. He pulled out an old style communicator the looked as though it had been modified. "Looks like my shipment is here, finally!" He announced. "I think we all deserve a drink."

Skot perked up, "I second this motion." He hopped up from his seat, swinging his rifle across his back. Taking two steps he spun around and grabbed his all too important coffee mug, "Can't forget this."

"Oh good. That should help take our minds off of things." Sabine said with a bemused expression, as if she hadn't just gone off on her own little tangent not five seconds before. The rifle did deactivate when she hit the correct keys, about the only thing it did in cooperation.

"I assume this is where I pencil in that you both requalified with your phasers this year?" She asked, still with a tone that was a complete 180 from her previous candor.

Etan clapped her on the shoulder. "If you don't mind." He smile reached ear to ear. "Let's get out of here." He said, leading the way from the abandoned corridor. "This trader always has top shelf stuff." He began, his voice trailing off as he turned the corner.