Bailed Out

Posted on Fri Feb 16th, 2024 @ 6:00pm by Captain Mira Rodale & Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance

Mission: Guilty Pleasures
Location: Risa
Timeline: Current

on
{Temtibi Lagoon}

Mira was swimming, and the water's temperature was amazing. She stood up as she got to a point where her feet could touch again, and she started walking to the beach loungers.

=/\= “Chuck Norris to Commander Rodale =/\= Mira’s comm badge chirped.

Now what? She tapped her commbadge to answer, "Rodale here."

=/\= “The Captain needs you to retrieve three officers from the Risan Detention Center.” =/\=

Mira cursed. She was about as far as she could be from the holding area. =/\= Who do they have?=/\= She asked as she dried off and tied her sarong around her waist

=/\= Lt.Tracey Walker, Ensign Nim Murphy, and Lt. Commander Kevin Lance. Ma'am =/\=

" I see, " was all she said, and the captain knew? Great well what ever happened couldn't be covered up now. the only thing the captain asked was to stay out of trouble.

Mira tapped her commbadge "Rodale to Tank"

=/\= Tank here what's up Mira=/\=

"I seem to have 2 officers and a crew woman in detention. Can you help get them out?"

=/\= for you? Anything they are doing a good job at talking themselves out, but I'll push it along.=/\=

"Thank you," she added as she walked with Vaytoc.

{Risan Detention Center}

Tank was standing outside when she got there. "They should be out soon."
Mira frowned as she nodded her understanding. "Do they need me to take custody of them, or are they free to go?" Mira was trying to understand why she had been needed here at all.

By the time Mira arrived at the detention center, Kevin, Trace, and Nim had been released. The three had been able to get the charges against them dropped through a combination of legalese fast talk from Kevin, charming smiles from Trace with a large dollop of bonne amitié, and feigned regret from Nim.

She was half sitting on a rock when the 3 walked out. She arms were folded as she smiled up at Tank. "Thanks for getting them out for me." she knew most of the security staff here. Mira raised an eyebrow, Well know she knew how her commanding officers felt getting her out of the if brig.

"Nim, your cut off from drinking. Get re-signed to a team." Her eyes met Kevin's briefly then flicked to Trace "I had hoped more from you two." Yea that's what she had been told often. She shook her head at how ironic this all was.

“It really wasn’t our fault Commander,” Trace began hastily.

“I had gotten the notification to pair up with other crewmembers,” Nim added, “I had lost track of Chin and Rodriguez and found Commander Lance and Lieutenant Walker.”

“And of course we couldn’t leave her alone,” Kevin continued unusually glib.

“And we weren’t really drunk” Trace protested.

“Just four or five whiskeys each,” Kevin volunteered, “Synthahol, not the real stuff.”

“And we were dancing,” Nim was starting to bounce on the balls of her feet, “And this Ferengi asked to cut-in. He was polite at first but then he got handsy with me.”

“She made it quite clear that she wasn’t interested,” Kevin joined in, “but he persisted.”

“We had to protect our crewman,” Trace stated with full conviction.

“And the honor of our ship!” Nim pointed out.

“Plus she was outnumbered,” Kevin wasn’t sure how that logically fit into the argument, “Six to one is hardly a fair fight.”

“And they were some big dudes!” Nim complained.

“For Ferengi,” Kevin interjected.

“I doubt that there will be an official complaint,” Trace reasoned, “The Grand Negus won’t like to advertise that the wrestling pride of Ferenginar was clobbered by three humans.”

“Clobbered?” Nim questioned, “We kicked their asses!”

The information washed over Mira like a deluge.

Dammit was this how she looked and sounded everytime she was trying to explain why and how she got into trouble? Double dammit! It was almost like the captain was trying to teach her a lesson.

She looked down to try and hide the laughter in her eyes. Her eyes went to Tank. "So, are the Ferengis locked up too? "

Tank slowly shook his head no.
Mira raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why?"

Tank looked uncomfortable. "They ran away."

Mira nodded. "And my people stayed. Who arrested them?"
"Rico," Tank mumbled.

"Tell him that's strike 3" Mira lowered her voice. "I will deal with him later and I will be explaining to the Ferengi why harassing a woman is not acceptable."

“Oh, I think that they won’t be harassing anyone anytime soon,” Kevin smiled as he rubbed his knuckles, “Commander, any fault in the behavior of Lieutenant Walker or Ensign Murphy lies with me. If there is punishment, I will accept it for them.”

Mira's eyes darted to Kevin's. "You 3 aren't who I meant 3rd Strike to. " She gave a brief smile then shrugged. "as far as I am concerned you're cleared. I will talk with the captain about it if he wants to know more."

She looked up at Tank "Thank you for your help and keep Rico away from my people. None of them should have been detained."

Tank nodded that he understood.

"Mira," Kevin moved in close to her, "We need to talk."

"Did something else happen? if so just tell me and I'll fix it." she shrugged

Tank chuckled "Oh no that's usually the woman breaking up with a guy line. It's dreaded words no guy likes to hear" he gave a shiver before smirking. "We need to talk"

Kevin's eyes shot daggers at Tank but it distracted him from what he was saying to Mira. "Nothing happened that needs to be fixed. Or rather nothing like that. It's about the kiss. Kisses." Oh Void! he thought as his brain caught up to what his mouth was saying, this isn't going as smoothly as I intended. "We need to talk about us," he blurted out before he lost his nerve.

"Kisses? " Tank put his hand over his heart "Say it isn't so mon petit. You couldn't be kiss any guy. You're as sweet as candy and don't do things like that!"

Mira's fingers rubbed her forehead. She looked up at Tank. "Can it you big doofus. Don't you need to be someplace else?"

Tank looked like he was thinking about, then shook his no. "This is too interesting."

Mira looked behind Kevin to see Nim and Trace. By all that is holy, couldn't he just let it go. She got the message that he wasn't interested. Fine, she will just let him know she understood. "I wasn't aware you remember them? But since you made it clear you're not interested, then there is nothing to talk about." She bit her lip, praying she just have some dignity at the end of this.

Her words cut Kevin to the quick. "Not interested?" He couldn't hide the pain in his eyes, "Ever since meeting in Greenland, I can't get you out of my mind! And of course I remember the kiss." He lowered his voice to barely a whisper as he tried to look deep into her eyes, "A man never forgets a kiss like that." His heart was racing and head spinning with the realization of what he had said.

Nim stood dumbfounded but Trace at least had the good graces to look away. "Come on, kid," he said as he took the medical officer by the arm, "Let's get you back to the ship."

Mira blinked rapidly, looking around quickly and then back up at him. "I ......" she swallowed hard. Watching everyone find some other place to be. Her heart was beating so fast that she wanted to put her hand over it. "I don't know what to say. " she whispered, feeling like fool just looking up at him.

Kevin stood mutely. That’s it? he thought, I throw myself off an emotional cliff and that all that she has to say? The logical side of his brain argued that his confession had merely caught her off guard but his emotions were having none of it.

“I need a drink,” he said in a deflated tone, then hopefully to Mira, “Would you join me?”

Tank started laughing. "I never thought I guy would render Miss Rodale speechless, and don't you dare let them tears start falling. Keep blinking them back, Mira.

Mira nodded but ducked her head.

Tank folded his arms and shook his head sadly. " You both have no game! I swear, " he tossed his hands up in the air. "Mira Fine, I'll handle this myself. Dude, she is so into you that her brain isn't even connected to her mouth right now. Do you know how rare that is? Mira? He is into you and doesn't know what to do. And you off worlders wonder why we have the horga'hn. Both of you go get one, and when you can't think of what to say, you can take it out to make things clear!"

"Tank!" Mira said, complaining about his horga'hn comment.

"Don't you look me that way, girl. You have fallen, and you don't what to do or say. I am sure we had Ruon have a talk with you about the proper way to flirt. You ignored him, didn't you. You turned him out and then didn't learn a blasted thing. "

Mira looked embarrassed but nodded her head. oh, she had tuned her friend out. She just hadn't seen a reason to learn the crazy stuff he was telling her she should do. Her eyes met Kevin's. "Maybe we should try that kiss again now that we are both sober?" She gave him a soft smile. “It’s been on my mind too....a lot." gees, that sounded so ..... "Yes, I'll go wherever you want to."

"It's a start. Call me when either one of you mess things up again." He shook his head, then walked away.

:off

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Chuck Norris

and

Commander Mira Rodale
XO
USS Chuck Norris