Younglings

Posted on Thu Aug 20th, 2015 @ 10:00pm by Captain Li Hawke & Admiral Ricky Wegener & Commander Oralia Zeferino & Ensign Ian Bren & Tog
Edited on on Tue Sep 22nd, 2015 @ 10:36pm

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Security / Galileo Science Center

* Security - Commander Zeferino’s Office *

Li and Rick left Piper and soon arrived at the Security section. As they entered, the front office staff snapped to attention.

“Admiral on deck!” someone announced.

Rick stood with a scowl and eyeballed everyone in the vicinity like he was looking for something to call them out on. A shoddy uniform, unshined boots or anything else. He wasn’t really, but it was fun keeping everyone on their toes.

He found himself almost nose to nose with an ensign who appeared to be scared for his very life. After a sharp exhale through his nose he barked, “As you were!” then about-faced to rejoin Li and find Oz.

They passed on through and down the hall and once out of earshot, Li looked up at Rick. “You really enjoy seeing them twist in the wind?” There was a mild reproach in her tone but amusement in her eyes. “Maybe it’s a good thing I’m taking you out of here for a few days.”

“How else am I going to have any fun if I can’t occasionally fuck with the people under my command?” he said with a smirk.

“It’s a good thing that they’ve never had to deal with you being an ass. There’s a reason the massive crew here respects you. You have your fun but don’t run over them like some we could name.” Li smiled once more. “With a few exceptions, like the old Suresh. You know the name Jayne Cobb is still spoke down in Saturnalia?”

He stopped and looked at her. “You can’t be serious?” He burst out laughing. “Wow. I didn’t think it would gain that much traction.”

Li shook her head. “It was one of the rare times someone bucked Suresh. You’re something of a legend, but don’t let it go to your head, okay?” She laughed for a moment.

“Who, me?” he said then continued on.

Finally, they reached Oz’s office. Li nodded to Ensign Carter as she left the office, then looked in. “Got time for some company Oz?”

Oz looked up at Li, then past her at the Admiral, then past him. Finally, she relaxed, smiled and said, "Yes, come on in! What brings you two down here? Surprise inspection?"

“I have a couple of things, actually, and I dragged him along. First up, I know you’re busy as hell with this whole Riley thing but Gil is going to have to do without you for a few days. We’re leaving tomorrow morning for the colony so guess what that means?” Li smiled at Oz, but kept out of her reach.

Rick said nothing but chuckled lightly.

"We?" She looked at both of them in turn. "You mean you two right?" Yes, Li had said Gilroy would have to do without her, but....

“I even came to tell you first, Oz,” Li added. “Sakkath doesn’t even know yet. But I found the Admiral wandering in the holodeck and decided he needed a walkabout...so to speak. I had come to ask you to take over for me but I think you could use the time away too. The most pressing issue is the one you’re already dealing with, however, so it shouldn’t cause any delay in the investigation.”

Oralia sighed. "Okay. Not like I can argue with a Captain and an Admiral. This means a shuttle ride?"

“Shuttle?” Rick asked. “Nope. I’m gonna’ be a ship captain for a few days again. I’m taking the Hammond around the block and Li,” he said, clapping a hand on her shoulder, “is my XO. I might even swerve across the lines a few times just for fun,” he added, then realized neither one had likely been behind the wheel of a combustible engine car like he had. “Uh, never mind.”

Oz's relief at that news was nearly palpable. She smiled.

Rick held up a hand. “Wait a damn minute. Wandering? Are you implying I’m an addle-brained old man or something?”

"Funny, Admiral, I was about to ask whether she meant you were hunting dinosaurs again," Oz joked, though she knew Li had hunted dinosaurs on the holodeck.

“Note she said you were hunting dinosaurs, not that you are one,” Li joked.

“Har har har,” he said straight faced.

“Anyhow, I’m sorry to spring this on you at the last minute, it was really a last minute idea. I promise I”ll make it up to you when I get home.” Li winked at Oz.

"Are you kidding?" Oz grinned. "This is great! I get a few days away from my parents and maybe Chance will be back before we are."

The comm on her desk beeped then a slightly nervous voice announced, "Ah, Commander Zeferino? Ian Bren in Sciences here. You know that egg sac we've been watching? It hatched."

Oz's eyes went wide. "Oh! And Iggy's not here! Ensign Bren, I'll be down as soon as I can." He acknowledged that and signed off. Looking at her two visitors, she asked, "Either of you want to go check out Iggy's babies?"

“It is a historic occasion,” Li reasoned. “The second generation of a new species. You game?” She looked up at Rick.

“Uhhh...sure?” he said, really and absolutely not sure.

“Alright Oz, lead on. This should be good.” Li moved back over to the door. “Any word on when Iggy and the boys will be back from Enara Prime?”

"We just got a message from Lt. Edwards. So three days, roughly. Depends upon how hard Edwards pushes the engines." She shook her head lightly. "Iggy will be so excited. Come on," she followed them out the door and they set off for Sciences.

*Science, Entomology Labs*

A nervous Ensign Bren stammered, "Ad...Admiral! I wasn't expecting you, Sir. Or you, Sir, Captain Hawke." He had enough bravery to shoot a quick glare at Oz.

“Nobody really does, Ensign,” Rick said. He did the same routine he’d pulled when he entered the security offices, turned his head around and sniffed, like an old, tall prick. “Carry on.”

“So, Ensign Bren, where are the new arrivals?” Li asked.

"They're this way," he turned and led them along a row of warm, red-lit tanks. He spoke as he walked, looking back at the three. "There were nearly a hundred when they broke the egg sac during Beta shift yesterday. We had food in there for them, but... well, there's just eighteen left now."

"They ate each other?" Oz was a little horrified.

"Ah, well, Commander, I'm sorry," he apologized for the spiderlings' behavior. "It is sort of the survival of the fittest with spiders." He stopped before a tank where, at first glance, there appeared to be nothing but the debris of a ball of webbing. Then a mass of long legs moved.

Oz looked closer and whispered, "Holy crap! They're the size of a... commbadge! I thought they'd be tiny!"

“I suppose I was hoping they’d be tiny.” Li leaned closer to the tank for a better look. “Do we know yet if they have Iggy’s abilities?”

“Holy crap,” Rick whispered finally. He turned to Bren. “Well? Do they?”

"We don't know yet, Sirs," Ian answered. "Perhaps that ability will show later, or when Ignatius comes to them. Or it might be that Ignatius will be unique."

Wincing, Oralia hoped that wouldn't be the case; the very idea made her sad. "Li? Can you... You were the first one Iggy spoke to."

“Good point.” She rested her hand on the warm side of the tank and focused on the spiderlings as they began to move slowly around the tank. Finally, she shook her head. “Nothing yet. They may be too young or….who knows. Ensign Bren may be right in that they may need to be older or need Iggy. It will be interesting to see what happens.” She looked up at Ian. “Do you think there will be any more eating of each other?”

Even as she asked, one of the larger spiderlings attacked another. A tussle of legs and little bodies ensued, but the outcome was obvious: the larger one prevailed and began masticating its sibling.

"No!" Oz cried. "Ian! They have to be separated! That's... that's infanticide! They could be sentient!"

Rick shivered at the thought of someone having to reach in there and manhandle spiders. But Oz was right. “Ensign, find a way to place them in different tanks. If they do wind up being sentient we can’t let them just kill each other. I seriously doubt Iggy would approve.”

"Yes, sir, will do." Ian nodded.

"I'll stay and help, Ian," Oz said, watching the seventeen spiderlings and smiling.

“Better you than me,” Rick said, arching an eyebrow. “Good luck,” he whispered to Oz.

“Very well, keep us posted, ensign.” Li looked back to Oz. “I am meeting Tog and then going home to pack. Wish me luck.”

"Oh, jeez. He's worse than cannibalistic spiders. Have fun," Oz said, chuckling. Ian was gathering containers for the hatchlings.

“We’ll ship out at 0800,” Li informed her. “Tell Jackson you’re mine for the next few days.”

"Will do! He can entertain my parents while we're gone." She grinned.

“Hmm, lucky for him,” Rick said with a smile.

* The Wormhole Bar *

Li left Oralia and Rick and hurried off to the Promenade. As she had said to Rick, she had a meeting with Tog and the Wormhole had seemed like the best place to do that. She hadn't said so but she was looking forward to a little verbal jousting with the Ferengi lawyer. They hadn’t met since the old Suresh was shipped off and hearing nothing at all of Tog made her a little suspicious. The thought made her laugh as she entered the bar.

Way in the back, Tog was seated with his Second Secretary, who was making him moan and gasp by rubbing his ears. "Ooo, yes. Oh, that's good. Goooood, good, good." She stopped suddenly, making him crack an eye open to see why. "Li! Darling Li!", he exclaimed. "Come, take over for Ina." He patted the seat beside him.

“I prefer that the ears I caress be pointed.” She grinned at Tog and sat down beside him. “Excuse us please, Ina, and send a waitress over. Drinks are on me Tog.”

"Really? Well, it must be my lucky day," he laughed, showing her his pointy teeth.

“Possibly.” A waitress paused and she ordered a round of whiskey. “So tell me Tog, where’ve you been hiding yourself lately?”

"Under a rock, of course. Isn't that where all the attorneys hide?"

“So the saying goes,” she quipped. “I was beginning to worry. When you’re quiet and not visible, I start to wonder. And then, lo and behold, your name crossed my desk just yesterday.”

"Did it?" He smiled. "I'm sure it was a glowing report on my prowess in all courts of life: from courtrooms to bedrooms," he winked at Li.

“Spare me.” The drinks arrived and she took a sip of hers. “This concerned a dead body that turned up, one that coincidentally was bailed out of the brig by you less than an hour earlier. Care to share?”

"I had nothing to do with that. Yes, I represented the party that wanted him bailed out, but that's it." He made a slashing movement with hand

“Really.” She looked at him squarely and wished for the thousandth time she could read him. “And you know nothing I suppose? What about this client? What was their interest in this man?”

"I do not know what the interest was. I know nothing." He asserted. "And my client cannot be named, so don't ask."

“Uh huh. So you’re swearing to me that you had nothing to do with this and weren’t involved? Because I know you wouldn’t lie to me...would you?” She smiled slowly and reached out, tracing a finger over the outer curve of his ear. “Would you?”

One cheek lifted and the same eye closed; he looked like a dog getting an itchy spot scratched for him. "Ooo! Oh, never!"

“I certainly hope not. You remember very well what happened to Ivor, don’t you?”

He frowned. "You didn't do that. And I'm not Fleet."

“No, but you live here and I can make your life wonderful...or hell. Your choice.” A sly smile lit her face. “How about we make a deal here?”

He moved so that she couldn't touch his ears again. Slowly, he asked, "What kind of deal?"

“I want to know who is responsible. Since you weren’t involved, you should be happy to help out and keep your...good name clear.” Li almost choked on the words.

He shook his head, "I can't give out the name of my client, Li."

Her eyes narrowed. “I didn’t say your client was the one responsible….I said I wanted you to help find out who was.”

"Look, beautiful Li, if I told you, two things would happen. One, none of my clients would trust me. Two, I'd likely have a very large, angry green man in my office, threatening me with bodily harm. Now, you wouldn't want that would you?"

“Oh, of course not,” she replied. “You are far too useful around here. I tell you what….I’m going to be gone for a few days. Why don’t you lay low and we’ll get together when I get back. Just so no angry locals come after you while I’m gone.”

"Hmm. Perhaps. But you know what they say: while the kitty's away...," he winked lasciviously.

“I don’t want to know, Tog.” Li shook her head. “Really.” Her tone turned serious now. “Be careful, alright? Something’s up down there and it’s not good. You may be a pain in my ass but I don’t want you getting caught in the crossfire.”

"I've noticed. Your new Suresh is close, but just slightly off. He's too nice." He shrugged. "And there's the two Fleet girls, the Borg and the Orion. They're trouble. It's notable when they cause more ruckus than Seyla and Lazan."

“The Orion’s being taken care of, the other...well...as long as Suresh likes her, she’ll be there. You know as well as I do that any Suresh won’t be without his woman. I understand she crossed him the other night at Saturnalia,” Li said. “That should look rather familiar.”

"It did. I heard about that," Tog laughed. "The fellow who was touching her had some broken fingers later."

Li nodded. “Well, things are calmer than they’ve been in a while. Let’s hope it stays that way. The two causing problems? One’s now dead and the other is on thin ice.” She patted his hand. “I need to go home and get packed. When you see Lazan, tell him I’ll be in touch as soon as I get home.”

"Sure. Enjoy your trip," he smiled as he watched her leave.

********************
Admiral Ricky Wegener
The Hero of Canton, The Man They Call Jayne

Captain Li Hawke
Jayne’s Sidekick

Commander Oralia Zeferino
Grandma! Sort Of

Tog
Not Passing Messages

Ensign Ian Bren
Spider Nanny