Gilroy Makes A Nexus Call

Posted on Fri Oct 14th, 2011 @ 6:29pm by Jackson Banning V & Commander Oralia Zeferino

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: The Nexus Club

Entering the Nexus, Gilroy scanned the room. It was such a typical security-guy move and Gilroy didn't even realize he'd done it. The move did cause him to see Chance, though. Waving, he went over to the younger man and greeted him, "Hey, Chance. How's Oz?" The Lieutenant knew something was up with his superior: he'd just talked with her and received the order to come to the Nexus Club to question Jackson about an incident last night. Normally, that was something Oralia would have happily done herself; any chance to needle Jackson, she'd take it. This time, however, Oralia had not only passed on this chance to tease Jackson, she'd told him that he was, from now going forward, the Security Liaison for the Nexus Club.

"Ah...," Chance gave Gilroy a tight smile. "She's... um... just fine, Gilroy." He wasn't about to blab about Oz's recent Connor set-back.

"Sure she is," Gilroy knew there was more there, but backed off and let Chance keep his sister's secrets. "Have you seen Jackson around?"

"Ah... I think he came in and went straight to the back," Chance pointed off towards where Jackson's office was. "You're here to see him?"

"Yes, apparently he got himself knocked around, started a bar fight last night. Or, rather, this morning. Oz wants me to get his statement. 'xcuse me," he headed the direction Chance had pointed.

"Huh," Chance laughed and watched him go.

Behind the bar, Gilroy approached the office door and knocked. "Mr. Banning? It's Lieutenant Gilroy, sir."

"Come on in Gil," Jackson called out. "And thank god it's not another woman!"

The door slid open and the part-Klingon walked in, joking, "Having issues with the opposite sex? Maybe that's why Oz sent me instead of coming here herself." Again, he was fishing for information.

"It's not the issues, it's how damn many of them there are. I swear to you, it seems like every woman I ever knew came outta the woodwork this week." His tone shifted a little now. "How is Oz holdin' up?"

"Far as I know, fine, all things considered. Last I spoke to her, she had retreated to her quarters for the day, saying that she'd oversee the Kh'ali search from there," he watched Jackson, wondering how much the man knew. "Seems you were in a bit of an altercation last night, Romeo."

"That, my friend, is a vast understatement. Vast." Jackson smiled. " It started with Seyla spouting off some garbage that I took great offense to."

"That Norval and LC Hawke are fooling around?"

Jackson frowned, apparently that rumour was everywhere. 'Yeah, that. What the hell put that in her head anyhow?"

"Perhaps that Norval and LC Hawke arrived, together, in less than full uniform, to Sickbay?" Gilroy gave Jackson an intentionally blank look. "Then you admit that you started the altercation?"

"They did what? And no, not technically. Rio took the first swing. When Selya started sayin' all that, she started to run off and I grabbed her arm to stop her and ask some questions. She shot off those damned pheromones, called Rio and played innocent victim. He swung and things got a little wild after that."

"Uh-huh," Gilroy nodded and seemed to make a note on his PADD. "Does Eli Ziyad have any associates on the Starbase? Besides those here in the Nexus and Chance Conradi."

"Well, he had no family here, no friends from home. He's basically a refugee, as in no longer welcome back there. He reports in to Kh'ali every week, workin' on his Federation citizenship. As you likely know, Janice and I agreed to serve as his guardians. There's the few cadets here that he's friends with but other than that, don't think so. What's he got to do with the riot at the Wormhole?"

"Nothing," Gilroy shook his head. "This Rio, how do you know his name?"

"He's a regular at the Wormhole. Hard to miss, he's about 7 feet tall and just about as wide. Some local species, built like a Borg cube. When she blasted the both of us with her witch's brew, he lost his marbles and started swingin'. Then Seyla hit me in the face with her tray, which landed me in sickbay gettin' my nose unbroken. But man that first punch went an' the place erupted."

"A place like the Wormhole, I'd expect that." He deliberated a moment then asked, "Were you aware that there was another Enaran on the 'base?"

Jackson looked surprised at that news. "No actually. Though if so it would make me wonder if he was here meanin' Eli harm."

"Is it possible Eli knew?"

"I doubt it and if he did, he'd likely be hiding." He eyed Gilroy intently. "Alright Gil, what gives?"

Meeting Jackson's eyes, Gilroy shifted in his seat and frowned. "An unidentified Enaran was murdered in Commander Zeferino's office during the night."

Jackson blinked back at him. "Murdered. Any idea why? Or who?"

"Commander Hawke identified him as being part of the conspiracy behind Kh'ali's kidnapping. For now, we're exploring all possibilities. One of the big questions, of course, is why Commander Zeferino's office was the site chosen for the murder."

"Maybe Li knows?" Jackson shrugged. "I intend to see her soon as she's out of sickbay, count on that."

"She might," he agreed. "I'll talk with Oz, see if she wants to talk to Commander Hawke or have me do it."

"I wanna get to the bottom of these rumours. If anything important comes up I'll let ya know though." Jackson looked less than happy now.

"Very well, Mr. Banning. Oralia has also assigned me as the liaison for the Nexus. If you need anything from security, please contact me." Gilroy stood as he spoke; the interview was clearly over.

"She did what?" Jackson's less than pleased look bordered on seriously unhappy now.

"Assigned me as liaison between...," Gilroy paused and considered what the order really did, "...you and her. Well... between the Nexus and her, at least."

"You were right the first time, Gil." He sighed aloud. One more issue to deal with. "Thanks for lettin' me know."

Partway to the office door, Gil paused and looked at Jackson. "Hey, I'm just your friendly liaison, Mr. Banning. If you have a complaint about me... I suppose you'd need to take that up with Oz." He quirked a brow, best as a part-Klingon could, and smiled.

Jackson's smile returned. "You do have a point. I'll keep that in mind."

Nodding, Gilroy left the office.

Jackson watched the closed door a moment, then muttered. He'd deal with this later, it was time to get to work. But deal with it he would. After he saw Li.

*********
Chance Conradi
Not taking the Bait
Lt. Gilroy
Informative Fishmonger

Jackson Banning V
Owner & Persona Non Grata
The Nexus Club