Told Ya So

Posted on Sat Sep 22nd, 2012 @ 9:04pm by Jackson Banning V & Janice Gree

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Jackson's Office - The Nexus Club

One thing Janice Gree both loved and hated about being a part owner of the Nexus Club was that the Club attracted an interesting mix of people. Some of those people simply wanted to come in and enjoy the music, the atmosphere, the food, the drinks, and any combination thereof. Some folks came to talk Vic’s ear off, tell him all their troubles, and triumphs. Some folks came and bellied up to the bar and hashed and rehashed the Station’s gossip. That’s where the ‘hate’ came in - Janice didn’t appreciate how the rumor mill could grind out awful, untrue tripe about people. This time, however, the gossip she heard was worthy of a shocked look and a quick trip to Jackson’s office.

“Jackson! I told you! I told you she was no good for you!”, she blurted out.

“What’s that?” Jackson looked up from his terminal where a male face that resembled his but was a few years older was speaking.

“Oralia - she’s in jail!” Though she hated to see Jackson hurt or worried, somehow, being even a smidgen right about the cunning, conniving, Connor-besotted female made her happy.

Jackson looked mildly amused. “Have you been listening to the bar gossip again, honey? And say hello since you’re here.”

Janice came around to get a better look at the male on the screen. Her demeanor changed immediately. “Oh, honey, Woodford, you just make my heart thump a little faster,” she drawled out the words and flashed a wicked smile at the man. “You should come up and see me sometime.”

The man in the viewscreen smiled back at her. “You name the date and time, I’ll be there. It’s not my fault if Jackson doesn’t appreciate what he coulda had.”

She nudged Jackson’s shoulder with a hip. “Please, him? He’s like a kid to me.” Her grin was motherly as she looked at Jackson and anything but as she looked Woodford over.

Woodford looked down at something on his desk, then back at the screen. “I’m taking a little vacation in two weeks. I’ve been wanting to get out to see Mr. Troublemaker here, so....make me some reservations Jan and I’m all yours.” Jackson simply rolled his eyes.

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” Janice laughed then tapped Jackson on the shoulder and said, “And, no, that wasn’t just bar gossip! That was that Bolian... um... Ganesh. He was lamenting that Oralia got herself in diplomatic hot water and is cooling her heels in an Archadian jail.”

“Umm Woody I gotta go. Apparently I’ll see you when you get here. Give ‘em all my best and tell Dad that the Braves are a shoo-in this Series.” He closed the channel and turned slowly on Jan. “Hot water? Jail?” His voice rose with the questions. “Maybe you’d better start at the beginning?”

Jan did: “I told you so, Jackson. Nothing but trouble, that one. She’s going to make you miserable. Ol’ blue baldy said she was down there due to some scuffle at the Palace, the Chief Diplomat, Kh’ali, was arrested for murdering the Queen. Oralia took a swing at the Archadian Chief something and... that’s it, she’s in jail!” She summed it up with an irritated flourish of her hands and a shake of her head. “Trouble. Nothing. But.”

Jackson was on his feet in an instant. “Fightin’ with their Chief? Murderin’ the Queen? What the fuck is goin’ on down there, Jan?” He was suddenly tense enough that he was all but vibrating.

“Woah, calm down, caveman,” Janice patted his chest, “That’s all the information Ganesh gave up. It’s not like I was going to stick bamboo slivers under his nails. His comment, though, about Oralia being good at creating diplomatic issues is right on the mark.”

“She’s normally fine with workin’ with the brass. And Kh’ali too? You know she’s good at it so what’s up? Doesn’t this smell rotten to you?”

“The part about the Chief Diplomatic Officer killing the top-ranking official on the planet? Yes, of course that smells rotten. Oz? Throwing a punch at their Chief Captain? No, not so much,” she shook her head.

“She must’ve had good reason, Jan.” He turned and pressed his panel, putting through a call to Li. There was no answer and moments, later the computer informed him she was not on the station. “Peachy.”

“Oh, yeah, the Admiral and Li went south to bail ‘em out. Nothing you can do right now, Jackie.”

“Nothing? Really?” He tried paging Nenita, only to be told she was busy at the moment, same for Nick - not on the station. “Did the entire crew take off to Archadia Jan??”

“Ganesh is here.” Janice knew that wouldn’t help. “But... let’s see... Our lovely and flashy Norval Tigan and that kid that screamed at Cassidy, along with his friends, are over on the Trill ship. Doc Harding is on the planet, Oz, Kh’ali, oh... Kai Sarkozi, you know who she is, the Admiral’s aide? Yeah... Darwin and Gilroy are... who knows where. Ganesh said he hasn’t heard from them in a while. The Assistant? Aliso? She’s apparently down in the Cherry Pit, hunting for somebody.... At this point, oh...,” she paused to think about it. “Yeah, maybe everyone is down there. Oh, Sakkath - he’s around somewhere on the Station.”

“I’d hate to be in his shoes right now,” Jackson grumbled as he plopped back down in his chair. “So what the hell do I do now? There was a time, I could sneak in and break ‘em out but now....” He stopped and shrugged.

“Break them out? Oh, honey, you can’t do that. Can you imagine the shitstorm that’d create for the diplomats?” She sat on his desk and looked at him sadly. “Besides, I’m sure they’re all fine. It’s not like the Archadians are barbaric.”

“No they aren’t, but somethin’s not right here Jan. There’s no way our people would do that but what if someone’s hell-bent on makin’ it look like they did? And is good enough to do it?”

“They already tried the reverse, Jack,” she countered, “And... well, thanks to Cassidy, saw through that. So that would mean that the kid that screamed at her, Bren, might know all about this.”

“We can hope.” He stood and began to pace, running his fingers through his hair. “I know yer not wild about Oz, but I do think this is a set up. An’ I just got her, I’m not ready to lose her yet.”

“You never will be, Jackson,” Janice said; she watched him pace. “You’re itching to do something. Next thing I know, you and Vic are gonna disappear, leaving me to run this place while you two go off and play spy. Special Agent Man. Will I need to chain you to this desk?”

He sighed and turned back to face her. “No, but dammit, this inactivity is gonna make me go nuts.” What she’d just said hit him now and he nodded. “No, I never will be ready, yer right about that.”

She nodded, too. “This long-lived thing gets old after a few lovers die of old age. It’s worse when their own behavior puts them in the line of fire. They don’t seem to understand that you get to live another hundred... another two hundred or more years, missing them.”

“She’s worried about that you know.” Returning to Jan, he perched on the corner of his desk. “How do you really make them believe it doesn’t matter to you?”

“You don’t, because it does,” she started then paused. “Has she ever had a pet?”

“Besides Iggy? I don’t know. But Jan, this is way different than outlivin’ a pet.”

Frowning at him, she shook her head. “I’m not so sure it is. Think about it, Oralia loves that monster. I’ve heard some of the things she’s done for it. Craziness, but whatever floats her boat,” she spread her hands in a ‘hands off’ motion. “She loves it even though she knows she’s going to outlive it. But she doesn’t think of it that way, does she? She just lives and enjoys its company and that’ll be enough in the end. Would she rather not have that spider in her life, just to save herself the pain of losing it?”

“No, yer right there. And not havin’ Oz after wantin’ her so long is not an option. Whatever it takes for her to be happy in this life, she’s gonna have.” He met Janice’s gaze and held it. “An’ that includes not stayin’ in an Archadian prison on a false charge.”

Janice got up and went to the replicator, where she pressed a button and spoke, “Manacles, steel, sized to fit the ankle of one Jackson Banning the fifth, attached to a chain twenty feet in length, with a securing bolt to fit the desk in this room.”

“What? Jan you wouldn’t!”

“I will,” she folded her arms in front of her and glared at him. “You cannot go off and rescue the damsel locked away in the Palace. What will happen afterward?”

“What if they didn’t know how she got out? It’s absolute crap that they’re there as it is.” He glared at her. He knew Li would kill him if he even tried but he was not going to admit that to Jan.

Behind her, the chain was rattling to the floor as the replicator worked to fulfill her demand. “Jackson Banning...” She realized lecturing the forty-two year old man wouldn’t get her very far. Of course, she also realized that she’d need a welding torch in order to get the manacle around his ankle in a way that he couldn’t remove it. Even then, she’d either have to do the same to Vic or he’d just go get the tools necessary to release Jackson. “Crap. Fine. If it comes to that, then we’re all going.”

Jackson scooped her up and planted a big kiss on her cheek. “I knew you’d see reason Jan, yer the best. Now, I promise to wait till we get more word on what’s happening down below. Crossing Li is not something’ I wanna do. She’d skin me alive.”

“Ugh... Rug de Jackson. I don’t think Oralia would appreciate that; nor does that sound at all comfortable to walk on.”

“Especially for me.” He set her down and smoothed out her dress. “Now tell me something?”

“Depends on what I’m telling you.” She eyed him warily.

“What’s this with Woody, hmm?” He crossed his arms as he regarded her. He looked stern but there was amusement in his eyes.

“That? Oh, nothing, honey,” she winked at Jackson, “Just some good ol’ flirtation between a Southern gentleman and a woman old enough to be his great-great-great... something, grandmother. Why, are you jealous?”

“Hell yes.” A smile broke out on his face finally. “Nah, I’ve got what I want, at least when she’s not in prison.” He had to joke, it helped relieve his stress. “As for Woody, I can imagine how that will go but don’t give me details after okay?”

“A lady never kisses and tells,” Janice winked and, laughing, scooted out of his office.

“And thank god for that,” Jackson muttered.

************

Jackson Banning V
Owner & Escape Artist
The Nexus Club

Janice Gree
Owner & Bad at Bondage
The Nexus Club