Trouble talk

Posted on Wed Jul 27th, 2022 @ 7:25pm by Captain David Hawkins & Commander Raiden Kosugi & Petty Officer 1st Class Tia Smithy(Kosugi)
Edited on on Wed Jul 5th, 2023 @ 10:43pm

Mission: The Goddess
3856 words - 7.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Tia was on the hunt for someone, and that someone was Colonel Hayter. The man certainly got stuck in her mind, the way he behaved on the Cargo ship. He even offered her some encouragement before she headed in to the debriefing. Something about him struck a chord within her, where he was concerned. She might be asking for trouble, seeking him out it didn't matter. She wasn't going to stop until she found him. Finally it dawned on Tia, she could just, tap into the computer to locate Hayter.

"Computer what is the location of Colonel Hayter?" once she got that location, Tia figured she'd head there.

"Lieutenant Colonel Jonathon Hayter is located in marine mess hall," the computer responded simply.

Marine mess hall, a place Tia had not gone to before. Well, not on the Gladiator that is, and not on the Arcadia. On the USS T'sul there wasn't any marines there, not to her recollection. She stepped inside, looking around for any sign of Colonel Hayter then her eyes zeroed in on the man she was looking for. For a moment or two, Tia just observed him and then approached the table where Hayter sat.

"Hello Sir." Tia greeted him.

Marine Mess hall aka 'The Canteen' which had been modified to be an unofficial bar and grill type area for the whole ship to vent, and relax. It was left as it was when Captain Hawkins had been the previous commanding officer and not much had changed. So when the colonel had a bottle of brown liquid and a glass, it wasn't much of a surprise for those around.

The marine officer slowly looked up from his view of the view port before him and gazed at the young enlisted officer who had decided to join him. He raised his glass up in response to her hello before looking back out and taking a gulp of his fire liquid. "What can I do for, Petty Officer."

Tia took a seat to where she was sort of across from Hayter, but not to where she'd obstruct his view. "So... have you kicked anything lately?" she knew it was maybe way out of left field but, she remembered him kicking at something when they were on that cargo ship. "If so, hope it was at a sweet spot." giving a sight smirk towards him. Tia knew she wasn't directly answering his question.

"What are you drinking there?" what Hayter was drinking catching Tia's attention.

He lifted the bottle and scanned it with his eyes before pouring more into his glass. "Not sure but its doing what it was made to do. Unlike others around here."

"What do you mean by that?" Tia bristling at his comment, she wasn't completely certain what he was talking about. "And I'd like some of that, would they have something like that I can actually imbibe in?" her voice a bit gruff.

"Let me get this straight... you walk up to a man, drinking... probably smells like a damn skunk and you are going to basically demand his liquor?" John finally broke his focus off of the bottle and view port to look at the young enlisted member. "Of course they do, where else do you think I got this bottle?"

"Well, I didn't know, as this is my first time down here. I've not had much in the way of exposure to Marines to be honest. My last ship the one i jumped from, they didn't have marines." she took a sniff and covered her nose. "Yeah you do reek." not even bothering to call him sir. "But I do want a drink, hadn't had a drink since I left the T'sul." she grumped.

"Sounds like a personal problem to me," he countered as he looked at her for a moment before sniffing his own arm pits. He huffed for a moment before looking back at her. There wasn't another glass, but finally just handed his glass, still with the liquid in it before taking a swig from the bottle straight up. "Don't say I never gave ya anything."

Tia gave a smirk to Hayter then picked up the glass and slammed back the contents. The liquid almost went down the wrong tube, causing her to gasp and cough, as it burned down the throat, causing her eyes to water. Never breathe in at the wrong time, when trying to take a drink. She had lowered her head to keep from coughing onto Hayter.

"What type of swill is this? Don't you have something stronger?" she glared at Hayter. "What's your favorite drink, or is it just piss water like this is."

The marine laughed as he looked at the young woman. "Well, not all of us can be spit fires, now can we? Guess we need something a little more... worthy of your dragon side?"

" Sure, lets find some firewater that will give me more ammo. " giving another glare, "Now about you, did someone take the fire out of Colonel Hayter, making him just a little old lady bemoaning the have nots right now? What the crap is going on with you?" Tia growled.

"I am, what is called by pilots, grounded," he replied as he stirred the liquor before taking another gulp before sliding the bottle to the younger hot head. "I guess the Lieutenant Marine Commanding Officer felt it was a great idea to side line me because I'm to emotional and connected to all this."

The marine took in a deep breath before leaning his weight on the table and slowly stood up. "Let's go little ass hat. We need to find you some liquid fire."

Tia rose from her chair, grabbing the bottle he pushed towards her. "Okay lead on, Sir." though her eyes were flashing with sparks of fire, a stray thought crossing her mind of confronting the Marine CO but not yet.

"Emotional and too connected to this whole thing with the Trinity? Hogwash." she fumed. "Wonder if he'd say the same thing to me." Tia uttered with a growl.

After finally getting some kind of stability, he waved the young woman to follow as they headed for the bar. "You aren't having a kid with one of the crew members that are kidnapped... or been murdered. Won't stop me from doing far worse to those spineless bastards who think what they are doing is civil in any way, shape, or form," he got to the bar which was unmanned and reached over the edge to grab another bottle but wasn't visual. The bottle was round and had a bluish tint. "Andorian ale... not horrible, but nothing dragons drink." He looked at the enlisted and smirked. "Need to get you blitzed and see if if Walken's can take you one, one on one."

Tia followed after John, noting his unsteady gait. "You think Walken's going to take me on?" she snorted, taking a pull at the bottle she carried. "And I saw my crewmates in engineering on the T'sul get drained by these Trinity jerks, I couldn't do anything about it, then... just by the skin of my teeth or whatever is out there in the Cosmos, decided to keep me from dying, when engineering exploded." Tia put the bottle upon the bar and decided to go behind it and started pulling out what she could find "Which of these would be a good start for me to get blitzed, us blitzed? Yeah, you and I don't have anything in common, sir." Tia spat out.

"Sir? Drop that shit," he replied as he grabbed another bottle and sniffed it a bit before taking a swig. He coughed a short bit before handing it to her. He then looked at her and laughed. "That's an order, petty officer."

"What do you want me to call you if not sir. Or do you want me to call you Hayter. S-" Tia paused, keeping herself from completing calling him sir. "My name's Tia or if you would rather call me something else, like Spitfire." taking the bottle he handed her and taking a good pull at it. Whatever it was, it was like drinking liquid fire and she felt it burn all the way down. She gasped and coughed, then croaked out "Smoooooth" cracking a smile.

"Yeah like it was said, you and I don't have anything in common, I still don't know if my possible boyfriend, Owen Black is still alive. He was the transporter chief on the T'sul, I haven't dared try to find out, in case the imposters found out I am still alive. He helped me escape. Gosh here I go again moaning about the loss of a possible love." she took another swig then handed it back to Hayter. "Why can't I just shut up about it Nothing anyone can do about it."

"Ya know... years ago, if we had met..." he looked her over and nodded before taking a swig. "Yeah I would risk hitting on ya. But nope, my dumb ass had to freaking grow up, get serious with a spotted fiddle dancer, and knock her up."

He paused and thought for a moment, before taking another drink of the fire liquid. "Don't get me wrong, I counted every damn dot on that ass of hers. Actually," the soon to be drunk handed the second bottle back to Tia and took the Andorian ale. "Trills don't have spots on their asses. Now their chests..." He whistled, almost a little to loud.

Tisa's eyebrows raised at John's comment, surprised her greatly. "You would have what?" she grabbed that bottle he handed her and took another healthy slug of it, then eyed him up and down. "Yeah I would have actually responded to your attentions, back then. Guess it's a good thing you grew up, otherwise I'd be in trouble right now." giving a smirk.

She made her way back around the bar to the side John was at, "You are rather strong, I can see your muscles-" poking at John's left bicep.

There was movement at her right elbow. "Hey he's taken, how about giving me a try?"

Tia turned to see who interrupted her conversation with Hayter. "Go away, this is a private party, rude to interrupt." looking at the blond man who was there. "I don't know you." then let out a rather loud belch.

"You can, if you come with me get some coffee and sober up?" the man reaching out to take Tia's elbow.

She jerked her elbow away, "I don't need a Sir Galahad, now beat it!"

Without another word, Hayter had gotten up and grabbed the man, slamming him into the bar before he collapsed down to the ground. He blinked a moment before looking down at the younger member. "Learn some damn manners, private."

Tia looked at Hayter and remarked with a smirk "My hero" then turned to take another swig of the bottle she had hold of, just as she started downing it, the bottle was yanked out of her hand, contents spilling down her shirt. The man who took it danced out of range, laughing then took swig of it. "If you want it, come and get it." in a teasing manner. He was much larger than she was but that didn't stop Tia, he pissed her off royally!

In a maneuver worthy of any contact sport, Tia launched herself at the marine doing a low tackle, her shoulder hitting his thigh, wrapping her arms around his upper legs, powering forward and drove the marine backwards, both of them hitting the floor. She rolled away from him, and unsteadily got to her feet. "Alright meatheads who's next!"

"Me" someone uttered sending a grazing punch across Tia's jaw, sending her staggering backwards. The back of her thighs caught the table behind her just right sending her backwards and she landed, making the person who was quietly drinking, lose his drink.

"What the hell!" he growled. "I've been waiting for that all day!" He pushed Tia upright then went after the other marine who caused her to land on his table.

"Take it out on dip shit there," John ordered as he pointed at the man in question. "Dance McFarley really is testing my new Padawan. Hey, Spitfire, you going to let yourself be thrown around like a rag doll?"

"What about my damn drink?!" the marine slammed his fists on the table. He went to grab Tia, but Hayter gripped his shoulders.

"Easy there little man, this is not the one you are looking for," the colonel stated as he tried to use his best 'Star Wars Jedi mind trick'. The marine tried to stand up, but John pressed down slamming him back in his chair. "I said easy... Let them fight, I'll get you another drink. Spitfire... Get up, kick that little pussy's ass!"

Tia nodded without saying a word, there was fire in her eyes, and Tia went after the marine who punched her. Now Tia wasn't a trained fighter like the marines were but she was a scrapper. Tia picked up some things from friends and some pointers from her brothers as she grew up. And Tia wasn't afraid to get into fights. It was just who she was, she didn't start them most of the time, sometimes Tia did.

The marine she faced off with, just sneered at the woman who dared to go after him. He felt this was going to be an easy take down as she wasn't a marine. He was wrong. His punch he was certain it would connect with her jaw but Tia wasn't there to take it. She ducked under his punch and stepped inside and punched him twice in the stomach, Tia's fists hard from the work she did in Engineering.

His breath whooshed out of him and he staggered back, Tia pressed her advantage aiming to hit his jaw, he barely moved his head in time, feeling the graze of her fist. That would have hurt more if it were a solid connection.

Things got serious as blows were thrown, some misses some hits, Tia found herself on the floor, the marine looking rather triumphant standing over her, then he looked over towards his friends and that was his mistake, he left himself wide open, and Tia nailed him in the groin. His eyes crossed and he went to his knees, while Tia scrambled out of the way. She staggered to her feet, panting and growled out, "Stay down!" shoving him over with her foot, and wiping away the blood from her lip. A shiner was beginning to develop on her left eye and she managed to walk over to where John was, smiling then winced.

"Spitfire, through and through. Next round is on me!" the colonel called out, just before an uproar of excitement. He looked at her smiling, and turned on his heel only to slam into a group of men in uniform. "Oh son of a bitch..."

... Moments later ...

"... son of a bitch!" David raised his voice as he and Lieutenant Commander Raiden stood in front of the force field before Hayter and Smithy. "What the hell crawled up your asses and made you start taking bottles of alcohol from the bar and start a fight in the damn Canteen? Are you both that damn stupid or just a bunch of damn idiots because you can't go do what you want?"

The captain paused and took the Padd from the new executive Officer. "A broken arm, hair line fracture, three broken ribs... and that is just one injured member. Don't get me started with the damn mess you left behind. Please do explain before I drop both of your asses myself!"

"It was my fault..."

"... DAMN RIGHT it was your fault, Lieutenant Colonel!" Hawkins snapped back cutting him off.

"... thanks for cutting me off... as I was..."

"... forget it, I don't want to hear it. To damn pissed off to hear your reasoning to egg this fight on. You are both to stay in the Drunk Tank until sober. From there, you both with be cleaning the canteen. Then you are restricted to your quarters, and no alcohol for the remainder of this mission," David ordered as he started to walk off. Steam could easily been seen if he were a cartoon character. The death stare he gave Hayter was no help either. He stopped but didn't look at them at first. "Still need you both. So cut your shit out."

The captain took a deep breath before finally looking at Smithy. "Single handedly took down two marines, practically on your own and minimal close quarters combat training. Last part was a little dirty. But still. If Engineering doesn't float your boat..." he paused for a moment and looked at her busted up lip and black eye. "... clean yourself up. You will get your revenge."

Tia was worried, where Hayter was concerned and she wanted to say something in his defense but stopped when she caught sight of Raiden, and something about him gave her pause, and she kept quiet.

Raiden wanted to say a few words himself, but this was the captain's parade and he wasn't about to rain on it. He did though stop Tia from opening her mouth by merely a scowling glance, a shake of his head and a raised eyebrow.

Noting that Raiden was now a Lieutenant Commander, Tia was worried. After what she had done earlier to Raiden, Tia decided not to rock the boat any further. Tia had been slightly rude to Raiden earlier, before he obviously had gotten his new rank. Thank the cosmos for small favors, she thought to herself.

Before Raiden left Tia called out to him. "Sir, uh Commander Kosugi, I want to apologize for earlier I was out of line. Hopefully you will forgive me."

Raiden paused and turned to look back at the petty officer, his face impassive and unreadable. This included his eyes which normally were expressive. There was nothing but a stony look. "We will speak of that later." with that comment, he turned on his heel and left.

To Captain Hawkins, "Sir, I do apologize to you as well." not knowing what else to say.

The commanding officer paused for a moment but didn't look back at them. He knew all to well how it was on the other side of that force field. But this wasn't the time to go into to much. "Let's go Raiden. We got a meeting to get to."

With that, the two ranking officers walked out of the security area and started down the hall. It was silent for a moment as the captain seemed to have been processing things, but as they entered the turbolift, he finally spoke.

"Once they have sobered up, like I said in there. Have them clean up the mess and make sure they are checked out by medical. Then get them to their quarters. Then clear the Canteen's security camera and forgo the paperwork."

Raiden looked at David. "Sir, I thought you were going to throw the book at them and put them down in the depths of hell where the sun isn't going to reach them. What's the change in your mood and why are you wanting to let them off. Truth be told I do know that would mess with their service record if they were punished and the paperwork is being sent in. I can question it but I do recall that you believe in giving people second chances."

"It was a bar fight," David simply stated. "Let's see if the 'Fear of God' tactic works with her. Plus if people were to get written up and slammed with the book every time they have an actual mistake, people wouldn't get a chance to learn from their mistake. Plus people would be more violent and careless."

Raiden gave a nod, "Good point. I do hope she finds a way to feel like she belongs to the crew, Smithy seems to have a chip on her shoulders a mile high. I do know that she's faced something awful but I don't know the whole story, she's been really prickly like a cactus where I am concerned not wanting to even speak to me. That bridge will be crossed soon enough, though."

=Meanwhile in the brig=

Tia had just gotten done cleaning herself up, as best as she could, she'll still need to get a shower though. One more careful touch to her lip and then turned towards Hayter.

"I'm sorry I got you into trouble in the Canteen." looking rather woefully towards Hayter, and taking a seat on the floor her back up against the wall. "It wasn't my intention, but I guess I was just spoiling for a fight." the coolness of the wall certainly felt pretty good on her back, alleviating some of the soreness. "I hope I am not sent away from here. I really like this ship."

The colonel was laying on the floor with his feet up on the bed. It felt nice on his back of the hard metallic floor. He had his eyes closed and his hands crossed over his stomach relaxed. But when the petty office spoke up, he smirked slightly. "Stop worrying. You didn't kill anyone and it was bound to happen with or without you. Sorry I egged you on, Spit Fire. If you were going to get kicked off this boat, Davy wouldn't have come down here to waste his time chewing you out. That was more for you then me, anyway."


Tia mulled over what Hayter had said for a few moments, stretching her legs out from them being cross legged and closing her eyes the back of her head leaning against the wall. "Is this saying the Captain actually cared enough to come down and breathe fire in my direction to make sure I straighten up and fly right? Hunh that is rather interesting to find out. Scared the crud out of me though, and made me realize I don't want to lose out being on this ship." a slight laugh, then a wince, as her lip was still tender.

" I will say this, my head's not been in a good place, and from what you had said to me earlier, neither has yours been. As for you egging me on, nah don't worry about it. I think some sense may have been knocked into me, in that fight." making a bad joke. "Question for you, think you and I can be friends?" opening her one good eye and glancing over towards Hayter.

This made the marine chuckle a little before looking up at her with one eye. "Kid you are drunk as shit. How about you get some shut eye. We are going to need it," he replied before returning to his position and closed his eye.

Tia smiled to herself, she liked the colonel. She shifted position and promptly went to sleep. She was dogged tired.

"Sweet dreams, bestie."