Ensigns poker night

Posted on Tue Jun 29th, 2021 @ 9:27pm by Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Lieutenant JG Ryan Kade III & Lieutenant JG Damien Blackford & Lieutenant Samaire MacBride-Reece [Lalor] & Lieutenant JG T'Kek [Naxea]

Mission: Season 5: Episode 2: Operation Save Humanity
Location: Miraj's Quarters - Cabin 10 S- O
Timeline: MD 02 2000
1940 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON]

Rank had its priviledges, and one of the joys of being technically a senior officer was that her quarters were a lot bigger than most ensigns, so Miraj offered to host the poker game that would be cover for some of the ensigns to gossip like talking was going out of fashion, and by 8pm enough had actually shown that it was worth starting.

"Who wants to deal first?" Miraj asked, coming back from the replicators with a tray of the requested drinks. She'd gone for a Zombie cocktail. Unfortunately her privilege didn't extend as far as overiding the rules for the ship being dry outside of dock, and the two different types of rum were only synthehol. "T'kek? Do you want to do the honours?"

"Certainly," T'Kek replied with a grin as he took the cards and began to shuffle the cards. "Game is five card draw." He then proceeded to deal the cards to each player. "What are the new CO and XO like, Miraj?"

The pink haired pilot handed out everyone's drinks carefully, giving herself time to think. "Sticklers." She decided. "Very hard and fast on protocol and proprietry. Its like I never left the academy. Anyone else seen them in action?"

Samaire, new to the crew, shook her head. "No not yet."

Damien took the cards dealt to him, and looked over them, before placing them face down in front of him, and took the drink offered by Miraj, offering her a smile and a "Thanks." as he took the rum and coke. Okay, yes, it was sythehol, but he'd take what he could get.

He shook his head at the question, taking a swig of the drink. "Not yet. Feels strange though. I've only been on board a few months, but Captain Lalor made me feel like I'd been around longer. Strange that she's just vanished." Normally he wouldn't speak so brazenly, but it seemed like the whole point of this get together was to speak freely, and it seemed like Miraj, whilst technically being Senior Staff, wasn't about to go back and report everything to the new CO and XO.

"It is weird. I'm not sure I buy that she's a traitor." Miraj agreed. "When would she have the time?"

The cards on the table slid toward him as the brig officer palmed them in a single swipe. With a slow, deliberate motion, he fanned them and looked over the collection. There was a click beneath the table as he leaned back and crossed ankle over knee. Gone was the rigid posture Ryan Kade was known for. In its' place was a tired expression.

"I doubt free time has anything to do with it," He replied. Taking two cards from his hand, Ryan slid them towards T'kek. The motions were practiced as if he'd been training his whole career to be undercover at a casino. With a nod, he added quietly, "Two for me."

Andrew walked in. "Sorry i'm late. But I brought snacks." He replied holding up some baked goods. "Real thing."

T'Kek dealt two cards from the deck at Ryan. "Captain Lalor being a traitor does not go along with her observed personality traits. It seems likely something is going on that we are not being told about."

"It is not like her, i give you that. Although not meeting her other than the inspection, but do we ever really know who someone is." Andy replied taking a seat, watching for the hand to be complete. "I mean decades ago, when the maquis were around, Sisko put command of an entire starbase to someone he thought he knew. Brought court martial to his former Commanding officer, and Hudson whom he thought he knew to the core." Andrew leaned back into the chair. "Ones got to admit, its unlike her, but its not unheard of."

Samaire looked up from the crap dealt to her. "So what you are saying is that you never really know someone?"

With the new hand dealt looking at his options, "Not saying that, but things happen, and people change." Andy replied as he threw one card out. "With the Maquis, there was an ethical aspect. People fighting for their homes, for their lives. That drew a lot of sympathy... that drew people to the cause, including Vulcans that saw the logic. Then Leyton, he genuinely did it for the federation, what he thought was best for the federation. Things happen that can change someone. Giving one total doubt, is unwise. One should always keep open that things are possible."

Miraj put the tray back in the replicator and took her seat next to T'Kek and took a peek at the cards. Well, that was a surprise. Nothing she wanted to swap. "I mean, I know what the vulcans say. all things possible in an infinitely diverse universe. But The Captain is also being a little. I don't know... protesting too much..."

"I for one hope she is found innocent and returns. The last thing I want is a what humans call a tight wad in command of this vessel. If I wanted that, I'd go back home with my father," T'Kek said as he drew three cards.

"Are they so different?" Samaire asked Miraj. "I mean... most captains I know they are all up tight."

Miraj dropped a couple of chips into the pool. "Yeah, I think half the problem is that the senior staff have been out the academy too long, forgotton that how Captain Lalor ran things was not normal. And some of them seem to be taking it way too personally. Though reassinging Commander Taylor probably didn't help."

Damien chuckled slightly as he reached across the table, taking a few chips for himself. "You're not wrong there. I remember in my very first semester, in my Chain of Command class, the professor making a point of saying how strict Captains would be. So, imagine my surprise when I got here and saw how things were under Captain Lalor." He chuckled again, shaking his head as he ate the chips, taking a glance at the cards he held.

"That's a good point. Why would you completely reassign probably the best person to help the transition of Commanding Officers? It seems counter productive."

The dull sound of porous plastic scraping against the table could be heard as Ryan took half of his available chips and slid them forward into the pile, raising the ante significantly. "They're likely betting everything they have on the command staff's complicity in the Captain's alleged crimes. Removing her most trusted officer from the equation makes sense to me."

Samaire tossed her cards in. "You deal crud there T'kek" She said and then turned to watch the others. "So why leave Taylors wife in place?"

Miraj shrugged. Seeing Ryan push his chips in, she was reconsidering not swapping out her card. She had a pair of twos and a pair of fives and a jack. Maybe she'd get lucky and get a full house. She pressed her lips together thoughtfully, and then passed the jack back to T'Kek. "Who knows what's going on at Starfleet Command. Maybe Carrington has orders."

"Maybe." Samaire replied. "I can say one thing, the Fleet Politics have gotten worse in the past 100 years."

T'Kek grinned at Samaire. "Do not blame me for you having a bad hand," he winked. "But replacing both the XO and CO who is not familiar with the Senior Officers is not good practice on any level. It reduces the efficiency of the ship." He placed a card back and drew another one. "Sehlat Piss," he cursed. "I fold."

Andy checked his cards, "Perhaps its just what the ship needs. Im not saying its right. Not saying its wrong. Sometimes a shake up is needed in order to get officers on their toes. People get complacent, and know what to get away with, with. Sometimes its good, other times not so." pausing it was clear poker was not his game. But he stayed in this time.

"And what if its like its being whispered? Cover up?" Samaire asked softly. "Hey I am in Ops, I hear things." she said at their looks.

T'Kek tilted his head slightly as he looked at Samaire. "A cover up for what? What have you heard?" The bridge was a place he never got to visit as his duties only involved Sickbay--which he was very content with.

"That's the thing, No one knows. Depending on who you ask, its a cover up because they know there are more out there, and they are trying to get them all before they drop the hammer, or its a cover up because the Captain killed her lover. And if you want to hear that its all a big conspiracy go stand outside Science. the chief is blowing her stack." Samaire shrugged.

Miraj had seen some of it. "Yeah, she's not happy." She upped her bet and threw in more chips. "But even if it is a cover up. Does it matter? I mean, they're never going to tell us, she'll either come back or she won't. Its not as if we get any say in it."

"True" muttered Samaire "Ours is not to question only to do. Well that's what they told me during retraining."

"Speak for yourself," T'Kek grinned. "As a doctor, I like to question everything.
I am not a Marine."

"I am sure they have brains right?" Samaire said with a smile. "You could do a study."

T'Kek chuckled. "Quite. But I fear it would be a waste of resources."

Samaire nodded "Probably"

Miraj giggled. "Got to keep them busy some how. "

Damien chuckled. "My father always taught me to question everything, so you aren't alone there T'Kek." He grinned slightly, glancing at his cards, before sighing, placing them face down in front of him. "I'm out." He said, before leaning back in his chair, glancing around at the rest of the group.

Samaire looked between Miraj and Ryan. "Hmm this will be interesting."

Miraj shoved her last round of chips in. "Why? Have you got all the aces?"

"Nah but he might" Samaire waved at Ryan who was the only other one left in.

Damien grinned as he leaned back in his chair, watching the events unfold before him. He might end up losing a bit of cash tonight, but at the end of the day, having fun and making new friends was more important to him.

Ryan pursed his lips a little as he moved his gaze around at the others. A glance down at his cards and he tapped his index finger on the table. "Call." Miraj being to the left of the dealer made her the first to show her cards. He waited, eyeing her carefully.

Miraj lay down her two of diamonds and two of clubs, and followed it with her five of diamonds and five of hearts, and finished with her jack of spades. "That's pretty good right?" Her hand twitched towards the pile of chips.

Ryan dropped his hand on the table, a queen, a four... and three sevens. "Three of a kind. Suppose that makes me the victor, tonight." He smiled politely, uncrossing his ankle and standing from the chair. "I apologize, but I do need to get going. Thank you for the game." He nodded to everyone and headed for the exit.

"See you later." Miraj sighed as she gathered up the cards. That was the best hand she was likely to see all night. She shuffled and began dealing to the remaining players. "Alright people, ante up..."

END