Friends in all the right places

Posted on Thu Apr 16, 2020 @ 6:51pm by Captain Lazanos Torena & Lieutenant Yukiko Winters

3,306 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: Varies
Timeline: MD03 1400

While officially Silk had the rest of the day off with formal duty starting the next day there was one last place she wanted to stop by. There was a marine contingent here on base and she figured they mostly had to deal with this Pangea. She was not interested in picking brains over things, though if things came up, she certainly would love to hear what the boots on the ground had to say.

No, her motive was different. It was to meet and greet, make some friends and though marines tended to be a closed group, Silk wanted to get to know them better. She had every intention of keeping up her martial arts skills, she what else she could pick up along the way. A fit body, a fit mind, was what her teachers in bushido had told her.

She had made her way to Deck 73 and her position got her entrance to the marine's place of operation. She had memorized the captain's name and called out, "There a Captain Torena around?"

A tall, broad-shouldered Bolian was standing outside the armory, and looked over at the woman. He bore warrant officer stripes. He approached, and gave her a salute. “Ma’am, I can take you to his office.” The Bolian led her down the hallway away from the turbolift, and stopped at an open doorway. “Sir, you have a guest.”

Laz was in his office, finally getting it squared away after all of his other business. He hadn’t had an office since his days teaching at the Marine Academy, and it was a new experience. A rough, hand-made bat’leth hung on the wall behind him, there was also a model of a Galaxy-class starship on the wall, and pictures of several different Marine teams hung on the wall across from it, all of them teams he’d served on in his time. “Thanks, Kohba,” Laz said. He had been standing in front of the bat’leth, getting it straight on the wall. He saw the woman enter, with her shock of almost white hair, she certainly demanded attention. “Lieutenant,” Laz offered his hand. “What can I do for you?”

Silk thanked the Bolian warrant officer and then turned her attention to the man at the desk. Black hair, brown eyes, very nondescript but the tattoo on the side along with some scars indicated he had seen action. She was intrigued by the tattoo but would ask about it later. "Silk if you don't mind. It is not my actual name, Yukiko Winters is but a moniker I picked up by in the Academy and have used ever since. Anyway, just wanted to stop by introduce myself. I am the station's new head of the diplomatic area. Thought to pick your brain over a drink if you have the time. Also, extend an offer to your men for a first round on me. Marines got me out of bad scrape and if there is a contingent around I always want to say thanks.”

“Smart, going for just the first round. This lot would take advantage.” He checked the chronometer. “I’m off-duty now, if you want to go for that drink. I don’t know that I’ll know whatever you want to pick my brain about, but I’ll give it a shot.”

"I don't have much use for credits but even I am not that wealthy," Silk laughed. "Well mostly get a lay of the station, where the good gambling areas are at, the best bars, maybe even one with an occasional fight." She nodded her chin toward the wall. "Trained in bushido, Japanese martial arts and picked up some others along the way. I have been in my share of bar fights, but also the other reason I am here. I want to continue to hone skills with your group. Always something new I could pick up. I might be now a diplomatic officer but I am still a believer in sic vis pacem, para bellum. You familiar with the phrase captain?"

“They taught it in boot,” he replied. “If you want peace, prepare for war. It’s practically the SFMC motto. We do regular CQC training here, and you’re more than welcome to drop in and take part. We’ve got a gym here with sparring facilities and holodecks that you’re welcome to use along with a Marine for training any time it’s free, if you want something more immersive. All you gotta do is say the word. I’d as soon avoid any bar fights if I could. If I got busted in a bar fight this early on in command, they’d disappear me so fast outta here it’d be like I never showed up.”

Silk nodded and chuckled. "I hear you, but then that is where the action usually is and more likely than not where information is to be had. Well right now a quite drink. So what is it you like to do in off time? Pretty impressive display of weaponry back there."

“The bat’leth? It was the first thing I ever made by myself. I intended to give it to the guy who taught me, but he didn’t want it. I can’t use the goddamned thing to save my life, either, so it’s mostly there to look ugly and be a reminder.” He led the way out of his office and back towards the turbolift. “Other than that, I teach CQC, play in the holodeck like a kid, drink too much from time to time. The usual.”

Silk laughed at the assessment. She liked him, the statement was honest and open. "Oh, CQC, then I am definitely going to hanging around your area. I want to brush up on things, learn something new." She was not going to tell him that she 'cheated' a little on that, when you sort of knew what your opponent was going to do it was easier. "I like drinking but tend to avoid it. Think it scares me to loose too much control." Silk did not lie on that part, a drunk telepath was a real bad news person but she was not going to tell him that and besides one paid for it dearly with headaches that would last for days and crushed any relationships Maybe why Betazoids had such a polite society, you just could not hide much from each other.

She changed the conversation slightly as they rode the turbolift. "So you are a blade smith if I understand correctly?"

“Yeah, in my free time. It keeps the hands and the head busy, which is nice. I started out learning the Klingon method on Qo’nos, but I didn’t have the blood of a feral targh to quench the metal in, so I adapted my style to other ways. You like trying out different martial arts?”

"I think a lot have basics that are similar but also different ways of doing things. Myself, I have drifted away from pure Japanese martial form and added quite a of others." Silk then said, "Oshieru koto wa manabu kotodesu, to teach is also to learn. And you?"

“I go with whatever works and gets me home alive at the end of the day,” he said. “Pick up things here and there, use them if they’re practical. I always admired people who could really get into the philosophy and discipline of traditional martial arts, but I never had the patience for it. I’d rather just start hitting something.”

Silk chuckled at that as the lift came to a stop and she stepped out with him. A wave of the sudden mass of people washed over her and she winched slightly until she got things under control. "Dang, does it always have to be so noisy." She commented and then nonchalantly, "the formality is a bit over rated. I got more discipline from my mother's profession. I was her atotori, her heiress, she was a geisha and if you make a crude comment captain I will punch you." She laughed indicating she was just making a joke. She really did like this man, well most marines, no time for BS and subterfuge. Oh the later had their places but even she got tired of it all.

“I don’t even know what a geisha is,” Laz admitted. He gave her a moment to steady herself when they walked out onto the Square Mile. She’d seemed overwhelmed for a brief moment, but schooled it well. It didn’t seem to be just surprise at the throng of citizens, but it also wasn’t his business. They started down a half-level, towards some of the drinking establishments he’d learned about in his short time on the station so far. “Is it something people make fun of?”

"Mostly it is misconception," Silk replied looking around at the sights, taking in the sounds. She then explained. "Geishas are a sort of hostess. They are trained in art of conversation, playing music and generally making for companions for the evening. Now there is a component that there can be sexual services involved but not really the same as just being a prostitute. It was not completely the only reason they exist. And yes," Silk looked at him, "I have been trained in the way of the flower as it is called."

Laz glanced at her, taken by surprise by her explanation. Back home, prostitution was legal, and always had been. After all, it was one more way to make money. But it wasn’t something most people talked about, especially in Starfleet. It was a refreshing kind of honesty. “Is that how you got into diplomatic work, then?”

"Not exactly," Silk replied taking a quick step to avoid being run over by a Narcissican. "Got shuffled over from intel work. Powers that be thought that maybe could be useful to helping keep the various factions from slitting each others throats." She shrugged. "When you got some by the short and curlies they tend to be much more amendable to 'listening', if you know what I mean."

“It sure as hell always got my attention,” Laz said, and ducked into a smaller bar. It wasn’t as packed as many of the clubs and popular bars along the Square Mile, figuring Silk might prefer somewhere a little less crowded. “What are you drinking? I’ll get the first round.”

"I will take a little synthol Jamison whiskey," Silk replied and then added, "this time captain, remember you have a round on me as well." She found a two person booth that had a good view of the door but the rest of the place as well. It was obviously a small place, mostly drinking establishment though a table for Dom-jot was present and another table with a couple of humanoid beings that were playing cards. Silk lowered her shields just a bit to get an idea of the place now that it was not so crowded. There was nothing much, but the one human at the card table was trying to bluff with a pair of twos and nothing else against an Orion with a three jacks and a Klingon with a straight that was a card away from being a straight flush. The Orion was not too sure but the Klingon was figuring the human was trying to bluff but she could feel just a bit of doubt as well. She only shook her head and looked up as the marine captain returned.

"Thank you, nice quite place." She said as he sat down.

“Yeah,” Laz said as he slid her drink in front of her. “I like a quiet place to have a drink from time to time. A club is exciting, a bucket of blood is fun in small doses, but a place like this is a good place to get to know somebody.” He looked back at the table she’d been watching and then looked back at her. “You a card player, or just think one of those guys looks funny?”

"Card player," she said quickly turning her attention back. "Pretty fair Tongo player as well." She leaned over and whispered, "I can read the tell that the human guy is trying to bluff. Looks like he has the Andorian convinced but the Klingon not so much." It was a bit of lie, she was pretty decent at reading cues but no reason to let him in on her real secret, at least not yet. She leaned back and took a sip and nodded. "not bad for synthol replicated stuff. Anyway, so how did you end up in the marines."

He glanced back at the table, surprised she could read them so well. It was a bit of information he filed away to never play cards with her for money. His own glass was of the real stuff, Orion rum. The greenish liquor was a bit sweet and sour both and burned pleasantly all the way down. “I hopped a freighter when I was a kid,” he said. “I was a basic deckhand, doing grunt work for not much pay, but it got me off-world. One of the guys I worked with was an old Marine from back in the day, and we got along. He told me all about adventures through the galaxy. It sounded good to me, so he hooked me up with somebody he knew, helped me get into boot camp. Been doing this ever since.”

"And I guess it has suited you well," Silk smiled. "Rising to captain and on a station. That takes a lot of work, dedication and good savvy." It was said not as any question but as a statement of fact. "If I might, back to your Bat'leth, and blades. If you would like I have a tachi that has been passed on down. It is over a thousand years old. You are more than welcome to try it if you would like."

“I’ve never been any good with a sword,” he said. “But I’d sure as hell like to see it. Tell me about it, where does it come from?”

"Of course, I will bring it by next training session you have in CQC. If you would like I can teach you some things about sword work." Silk looked up as the card game broke up. "Heya buddy if you can't stand the heat," the human was sitting back in his chair with a smirk looking at the Klingon. As to the later, he grumbled and said something that sounded rather nasty in Klingon and then strode out.

She watched a moment then shrugged. "Good bluff I guess. Anyway where was I?"

“The sword you have,” Laz said. He looked back at the departing Klingon and the smug human counting his money, then sat back to look at her. “Let me ask you something, because I’m curious. Do you try to be this mysterious, or is it just a natural talent of yours?”

"Me mysterious," Silk looked a bit puzzled. She smiled and said, "Come on, grab your drink and I can answer that in a bit." She stood and shouted out, "Hey buddy, want to add to that pile?"

The man looked at Silk and swung his chair back down with a thunk. He eyed the marine captain for a moment then gave a shrug that was supposed to look nonchalant but you could tell he was bluffing his way. "Fleeters," he said sourly, "well not my kind of people but sure, you got the credits I won't mind relieving you of some."

Silk nodded and went over to the bar and made arrangements with the bartender for some chips and came back. "Captain?" she asked, "want to sit in or just watch?"

Laz hesitated just a minute, looking at the money on the table. Unlike a lot of people from the Federation, he knew how important money could be. Still, he was curious to see what she was planning, and it wasn’t like there wasn’t plenty of money available to him. “What the hell,” he said, sitting down. “Just remember you owe me a drink.”

"You got it!" Silk said and sat down.

The game went on for a bit, but the only time she would loose anything was small amounts with a weak hand and periodically to the captain with something larger. Still it did not take long for the pile of chips to definitely be on her side. It got down to one hand and Silk kept putting the pot up. The captain folded and the other guy finally called. "Your bluffing," he said with finality putting his cards down. He had a flush and nodded and grinned like a Cheshire cat.
Silk put hers down and said, "four of a kind."

The man just stared at the cards and shook his head. "Geez, darling, every damn hand like you almost knew what I had. Got a mirror or something?"

"Nah, just lot's of practice. Take the last hand anyway, I do not feel it is right to break a person. It's been fun."

The man nodded and grabbed the chips and stood and headed out. "Captain, lieutenant." was all he said.

Silk ordered a round for them and then leaned over. She now had the Cheshire cat grin. "So not mysterious, captain, just so you know but it is between you, me and the higher ups." She looked over at the barkeep but his was busy getting something from the back. "I am telepathic." She let that one sink in.

Laz looked at her for a moment as he absorbed that, thinking it over. There were plenty of telepaths in the universe, powerful and not. On his first posting, he’d known a Vulcan officer with a strong telepathic sense, but it wasn’t something he had a lot of experience with, and especially not with humans. But it made sense, now, between the poker and the way she responded to the crowd. She was always picking things up. And trusted him enough to tell him. “I am trying very hard to refrain from asking you what I’m thinking.”

"First moral rule, 'An officer will not invade the mind of another without permission or very good defendable cause.'" Silk quoted. "Since the impression I get is that you are not really inviting me. You are fine. Besides, I find it seldom needed. You would be surprised at what beings let 'leak' out. I try not to listen but as in the game, it is like having a really good tell. Anyway, as the head of the marine contingent here thought you should know. There might come a time when you might need a friend in the right place and vice versa."

“I’m a friendly guy,” he said, taking a drink. “I appreciate you being upfront with me about all that, it’s good to know. If you need anything, just say the word. Way I see it, we’re usually better not seen or heard on a Starbase as much as possible. Marines make civilians jumpy, for good reason. But we’re here to help, and if I can help out, I want to. How’s that?”

"Sounds more than fair and vice versa," Silk nodded. She then held up her glass and said, "Here's to having friends in all the right places."

Laz raised his own drink in a toast. “Read my mind, Lieutenant. Figuratively.”

Silk just chuckled a little and raised her own.

Marine Captain Lazanos Torena
21st MEU
Deep Space Five

Lt. Yukiko "Silk" Winters
Chief Diplomatic Officer
DS5

 

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