Confinement
Posted on Fri Jun 30th, 2023 @ 6:40pm by Commander Raiden Kosugi & Petty Officer 1st Class Tia Smithy(Kosugi) & Lieutenant Josey Wales
Mission:
The Goddess
Location: Gladiator
Timeline: After Planet Assault
2774 words - 5.5 OF Standard Post Measure
With a lot of relief Tia aka Spitfire looked around feeling like she had come home. Tia was tired, feeling very exhausted. Much has happened since she had snuck on the Arcadia, from the T'sul, then coming onto the Gladiator as part of the crew to go after the Trinity. First she thought she had lost a love interest, who had died. In reality he may not be dead. Or he could have actually died, after that nanite had been found playing with her optic nerve showing ghostly images of him. A nanite why the hell did he do that to her? Spitfire wasn't happy, if he survived and the same for the Esra Bordan. She was going to kill them both!
Spitfire thought he liked her, she liked him more than what she thought she did. Hence her going ahead and following his ghost, finding that information implicating Esra Bordan, and then her mourning Owens death. It was all a lie! Tia made her way through the masses, wanting to get a shower and wash the grime and filth from off herself.
As she headed for the exit in order to do so, she thought she caught sight of someone, a flash of blonde hair, in an argument with a dark haired man. It couldn't be. There was no way, he was dead right? When she approached closer, Tia could feel herself turn cold, it was him, Owen Black, arguing with none other than Esra Bordan!
Then Spitfire snapped, white hot anger coursed through her veins, she was going to kill them both especially Owen Black! She pulled out her phaser and began firing at both Esra and Owen who in turn fired back at her. People dodged out of the way, screaming. " I'm going to kill you sons of bitches, if its the last thing I ever do!!" hot angry tears flowing down her cheeks. Tia chasing after them.
Raiden was there to check on the incoming people his head snapped around to see Tia shooting at two individuals who were firing back.
"Security! Stop those three now!" Raiden ordered, him seeing that Wales was there, having returned from his mission.
Josey nodded and gave the order to the men that were with him. " Set phasers to light stun and subdue them, We'll bring them all in for questioning. " The effects of a light stun hit would wear off after about fifteen minutes, More then enough time to get them to a confinement area before wearing off and they could then sort out this matter. Josey wondered why Tia would be shooting at these two, She might be short tempered, but she'd have a good reason to be doing such and would be the first one he questioned in this matter.
All three hit the floor, the weapons dropping.
Raiden walked over to where Josey was, he taking a look at Tia. "Those two I don't know who they are but I want some of your men to accompany me to deliver them to the Vault. " he looked at Tia. " And as for her, I would like you to confine Tia to her quarters and find out what the hell is going on with her and those two men. Then once you find out meet me at the Vault, and hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this. What she did here could land her into some serious trouble."
Raiden then leaned in towards Wales and said quietly, "I think she'll be more responsive to you than she would be to me."
Josey turned towards the security officers that had gathered in the area. " You four go with Commander Raiden and take these two to the vault and stay with him. " He turned towards another officer. " You're with me, The rest of you return to your normal duties. " Josey nodded at the Executive Officers orders. " It shall be so Sir. I will report to the vault after I find out what the hell is going on with Tia. " He said as he scooped up Tia in his arms to carry her to her quarters. A short time later they were in front of Tia's room. " Computer , Security override on Petty Officer Tia Smithy's quarters. " The door opened and the trio entered the room. " Stay by the entry. " He instructed as he lay Tia on her bed and sat in a chair and waited for her to wake up.
Tia had no bunk mate currently for her other bunk mate had transfered off the ship. The stun setting wore off and Tia started to groan, writhing around in her semi concious state, very soon though her eyes flashed open and she sat up in bed, grabbing her head groaning, feeling like she had just woken up with a terrible hangover. She carefully glanced around wondering where she was at, then her eyes landed upon Josey.
"What happened?" she groaned out, "Did I get drunk and - " then it hit Spitfire, "Those bastards, where are they did I kill them?" struggling to get out of the bed, but failing miserably, still suffering from the effects of being knocked out by the stun setting. She reached out to get some water, but found her glass was empty.
" No you didn't kill anyone. " Said Josey as her stood up from the chair and moved towards her. " The three of you were shooting at each other without any regard to other people around you and the executive officer ordered us to neutralize the threat, you were all stunned. Your confined to quarters until we figure out what has happened and the other two have been taken away to interrogation. Level with me Tia, what the hell happened? I want to help you if I can, we're friends after all. "
"S-sure I guess we are friends. Just first, let me get some water, my mouth feels like its full of cotton and the same for my head." Tia this time successfully rising from the bed to get some water from the replicator. She drank a full glass before she went to sit back down on her bed with another full glass of water.
"I'm in big trouble aren't I. Those bastards, especially Owen Black, I thought he liked me! I liked him more than what I realized. He, he planted a nanite in me. I thought he was dead, it was all a lie. I saw some events on an Isolinear chip, a recording made by Owen, he was on the hunt for Esra. I thought Esra had killed him, I vowed I would seek revenge on Owen's death. Oh gosh I thought I sent that recording to you. This whole Trinity thing is such a mess." She quickly drank some water, tears starting to run down her cheeks again. She placed the half full glass alongside the empty one.
"I can't believe this, I don't know what is going on now and what to believe in" she buried her face in her hands, sobbing. " I want to kill the bastards, I truly do." her voice slightly muffled, cracking with the emotions she was feeling.
" I'm pretty sure that I never received a recording from you about the Trinity, I would have remembered that. As for the Isolinear chip and the nanite, those will be easy to confirm. Do you still have access to the Isolinear chip? " He asked. Knowing that the more evidence he had, the easier it would be to clear Tia. " Once I get permission from the executive officer, I'll take you to sickbay and we'll get that nanite and examine it to corroborate your story and help clear you. So anything you can give me will help you out in the long run. " Josey sat silent for a moment. " So tell me Tia, Do you believe that either one of these men or both of them may pose a threat to the safety or welfare of the ship or crew? Tell me what happened from the beginning. "
"The nanite was already removed, before we went after the Trinity, I was still seeing the ghostly image of Owen approaching me, wanting to talk I guess. This was while I just went in for a normal check up. It was driving me mad, and I do have the isolinear chip. " She got up and moved towards the storage cubby that held the ships in bottles. There was on that was unfinished and she pulled it out, juggling it until the chip came out. "Here it is." the chip being in what seemed to be a small piece of sail cloth.
"My brain was more on the aspect of getting our people from the Unholy Trinity. We needed everyone, it was an all hands on deck sort of mission. You know that to be true." Tia walking back towards Josey then went to her bed still holding it, and stopped at the edge to look towards Josey. "I've got a reader unless you'd rather watch it in the security office." her voice having a wooden tone to it, as if her morale energy was slowly being depleted.
She sat back upon the bed, pulling her pillow close to her chest, as if to seek comfort from that. "As for Owen Black, if he was the one who put that nanite in me. And I am 95 percent certain that he may have been the one, why would his image be there if it wasn't him? Or he had help." A worried expression in her eyes. "I think he is dangerous, you'll see from the information that is on that chip. Esra, I do not know really but he was there talking to Owen. I just, I just don't know. I lost it when I saw them. " burying her face in her pillow.
Josey spoke in a low but comforting voice to Tia. " It's ok, you're safe here and I believe what you've told me.. Neither one of them can hurt you as they are both in custody. If you still have the chip? If so may I have it? " He asked. " Is there anything else that would be pertinent to this investigation? "
Tia reached out from the pillow to hand the sailcloth wrapped isolinear chip to Josey. "I had asked Doctor Svidi to make a copy of it as well so she does have a record too. I had to hide it." she stated. "Oh I have some things that he 'bequeathed' to me" getting up from the bed once more and bringing over a bottle of Bourbon, a pocket watch and a swiss army knife. "That bottle of bourbon, I had given to him, as payment to get me off the USS T'sul where he and I were part of her crew. He beamed me to the USS Arcadia. You'll find his 'personal' log on that isolinear chip. I just, I just can't believe I bought his malarkey. He wasn't around in engineering when it blew up, much like the blast you stopped on that civilian ship."
She deposited all of the items on a table to where Josey can collect them. "I don't want any of that, not even the bottle of bourbon. I don't know if that thing is safe to drink at all."
Josey pulled out his security tricorder and scanned the bottle of bourbon. " I wouldn't drink any of it if I were you. I guess this was his back up plan. There is a short term memory blocker and more of the nanites in there, so that at least is compelling evidence in your favor. I have more then enough evidence to help your case greatly. "
Tia's face went white as the pillow case on the pillow she was holding onto. "What? No way. I was going to to drink that after the mission was done. I promised Captain Hawkins I wouldn't do any drinking until after we got finished." clutching her pillow even more closer. She was starting to feel a bit woozy, and she laid down, curling herself into a ball. "Why, why, why!"
" If you want to drink a good whiskey after this mission is done then I have a bottle I can share with you if you don't mind the company that is. " Josey offered Tia. Josey gently placed his hand on Tia's shoulder to offer a small measure of comfort. " Come on Tia, i know you're stronger than this storm patch that you're going through right now. I've never seen you back down from anything. I remember the first time I heard your nickname of Spitfire, Small, fast and fearless. If you weren't in engineering, I would have offered you a spot in security. " He said with genuine feelings, as he admired her for being straight forward and her won't back down attitude.
Her moans, stopped Tia was still for a moment, Josey's words similar to what someone had said to her along that same sort of line. She slowly rose to a seated position and for some reason, Tia found a laugh coming from her. "You know, someone had said something similar to me but in referenct to the marines. I had fought a couple of marines when I got drunk. I will stick with engineering but thanks. And I'd be willing to have a drink with you. I hope I can come out of this. Just, there will be a lot to sort through."
She reached out for her half full glass of water and finished it off. Placing the now empty glass down Tia remarked quietly, "This is just so much to take in." her smile faded away, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Go deal with those bastards and thank you for stopping me from doing something even more stupid than my shooting at them." she gave a shiver. "I guess I am confined to my quarters until things are settled and the decision is made for me to still be here or, if I am going to be sent away."
" The way I see it is you don't have to much to worry about. " Said Josey. " Starfleet takes care of their own and you had a number of crimes committed against you by people in Starfleet. Because of that I believe that Starfleet will be more lenient with you in the long run. So I wouldn't be packing up my things just yet if I were you. This matter will most likely move pretty quick now since we've got a good idea of what was going on and who was involved, There is still more we have to learn and what we're going to do about it. when things are looking their worst, I like to remember what my mother used to tell me, She'd say. When the devil sees your head down and he thinks he's won against you, Just lift your head and say Amen. "
Josey's words brought out another smile from Tia. She rubbed her eyes, chasing the tears back once more and moved to get a tissue to blow her nose. "I am quite a mess. Okay well come what may, I am going to get a shower, and do a little bit of cleaning as well. I will be waiting to hear some news from you, or Captain Hawkins." moving from the bed once more. She took a sniff catching her own scent.
"Oof boy do I need a shower. Yeah time to get cleaned up." Tia waving Josey off, with a laugh. "I think I would like a shower in private?"
" Of course you can shower in private, your only confined to quarters during the investigation. The only time I'll stick around for something like that is if I'm in a relationship with the person or cleaning up after a workout at the gym. ' Said Josey with a grin. " I'll leave you to your devices, so if you'll excuse me. " He turned and headed to the door.
"Oooh, you have a romantic side to you." Tia giving a quiet chuckle. "And also you are a gentleman as well. I will see you later, Josey." deciding not to use his rank or last name. With all that they've been through already, Tia felt like they were friends.
Josey stopped as the door opened and glanced over his shoulder and gave a humorous smirk and then walked out the door. He walked down the hall towards the vault. "That lady sure is a firecracker. " He half muttered as he walk down the empty hallway. "She's got her head on straight and she'll be fine when this is through."
