The Point Of The Matter Part I
Posted on Thu Feb 6th, 2025 @ 3:58pm by Captain Edmund Merrick & Lieutenant Mira Jayna
Edited on on Mon Feb 10th, 2025 @ 6:15pm
1,539 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Marine Training Center - Deck 9 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD003 2000 hrs
The Cure had a blade range. Why had she not noticed this before? Jayna asked herself. Probably because she hadn't spent enough time walking around. And, until now, she'd used a holodeck. But now that she was working full time as the intelligence liaison to The Cure, she wanted to become more familiar with her workplace.
And that was how she found the less-used range. And with the ship on shore leave, she had an hour to check it out. She hadn't thrown a knife outside the holodeck since she worked with Alyssa in the lounge. This gave her a better opportunity to practice.
A moment of respite, a place where no other person except for a marine or someone having the proper code could come inside. Edmund was walking around doing an inspection, where the Cure operated. He caught sight of someone passing by where he was walking and followed quietly to see who it was. To his relief he saw that it was Jayna.
"Hello Jayna." Edmund greeting her, making certain to be just out of striking range in case she reacted.
She turned, noticing his slightly defensive stance. "You didn't surprise me. I heard you." She had been trained from childhood to walk silently and to always be aware of her surroundings. That and her Vulcan hearing made it harder for Edmund to sneak up on her--although he hadn't been trying to sneak. He was simply walking the corridors, as she was. "I'm going to the blade range. I haven't had a proper practice in weeks."
"Care for some company? I find that I am needing the practice as well. Can't let my skills get too rusty." giving a wink. Edmund's smile faded away, as he asked his next question. "How are you doing now that we're out of that Nebula, and we've got our people back?"
Jayna smiled. "I'm much better and I would enjoy the company." She paused before asking. "How are you doing?" He and Lachlan had been given a lot of responsibility while the commodore and Rowena were compromised and the senior staff missing. She, on the other hand, had been doing a mad search for where Neil and the others had gone--with little to show for it.
Edmund could only shake his head. "I am okay I suppose. Still somewhat baffled that I seemed one step behind in trying to figure out why people were disappearing. And you, you were more on top of things than I was." giving out slight sigh.
"I had a personal reason to get answers. It makes a difference." She gave him a self-deprecating smile. "Plus, I like finding information. But even though I had the answers, I needed someone like you to get something done about it. I felt like no one was listening to anything I had to say." She shook her head. "But it's over and everyone is safely back." Then she remembered the one casualty. "Well, everyone who was actually sent to the pocket universe."
Edmund slowly nodded his head. He knew just what Jayna meant. "I don't know if I helped much, but every little bit helped out." He looked around where they were at, not familiar with the setting. "What is this place? I've not really been here in this section yet."
"Neither have I, but there's a blade range ahead and I'm going to spend an hour throwing knives." She looked over at Edmund. "Care to join me?"
"I would love to. Just, let me get my other knives." Edmund giving a bit of a smile. He turned around and took off rather quickly. In just a matter of minutes he was back with his other knives, as well as a throwing axe. "have you thrown an axe before?"
Jayna took the time to look around the room and what it offered. She turned when she heard Edmund approach. "No, but I have seen it done."
"Well then if you would like to have a try at it, I won't mind. It’s actually rather fun." Edmund laying out his blades, in preparation of the practice. As he laid out his blades he gave a chuckle as a thought went through his mind. "Do you remember when we first met, it was a while ago. You had sought me out to get to know me just a little bit. Gathering intelligence as it were.” Edmund grinning. "Have you gained anymore intelligence on me that you might want to share?"
"No." There was a definite twinkle in her eye as she said it. "I can say I haven't done any research on you lately. And yes, I would like to learn to throw an axe. It might come in handy someday." Or just be fun. She laid out her balanced throwing knives on the table. "The last time I did this was in the lounge with Alyssa."
"It seems that there was a bit of that going on in After 11. I ended up meeting some of the ladies of Intelligence, early on, wasn't certain if they liked me much." Edmund giving a laugh. "There was Rowena, Makeba, Kaylara and Chloe. It was an interesting experience." grinning.
"Yes. It's a good place to gather. I was teaching Alyssa to throw knives and she was teaching me to use a blowgun." Jayna grinned. "She doesn't like to do any serious harm, so she uses tranquilizer darts. She also has some clever ways to hide them. I may have to use them at some point, but I love knives."
"Blow guns are really good for stealth purposes. Have you ever had the misfortune of being hit by a blunt dart? A friend of mine had put in a bead inside a blow gun, and accidentally hit me with it. That stung like crazy, on bare flesh." Edmund giving a slight laugh.
"No, but I've been hit by pellets and BBs. I'm sure they aren't much better." She selected one of the targets and went up to the line for a test throw. She hit the target, but it was off center. Still, not bad for a first throw.
"Those do hurt a lot." Edmund picking up his throwing axe. Took aim and sent it flying through the air, it sinking into the target, a bit off center. "I am rusty, I definitely need to make more time to practice"
"Me, too. This place will definitely help." She smiled at the Marine. "Especially as I'll be spending more time with The Cure."
"Well, you are a good addition to the Marines and am grateful as well. What brought about the switch to The Cure?" Edmund walking over to retrieve his axe.
She selected another knife and threw it. "Neil. I've been doing more work with him and The Cure lately. Now that he's been promoted and the Marines are going to be doing more, it made sense to have an intel officer assigned to them." She was grateful for it as it gave her more opportunities to do field work.
"It makes sense." Edmund placing his throwing axe down and taking up his set of throwing knives, he sent one flying forwards, it spinning in the air it bouncing off the target and to the ground. He scoffed slightly, adjusting his stance, and rejudging the distance. "Too much spin there." He threw the next one, this time it sunk into the target just above the outer ring.
Jayna nodded and threw another knife, this one just outside the center circle. "I admit, I'm not quite sure what the job will entail. And I'm still assigned to the SCIF, but I'm no longer Commander McGowen's assistant. A man named Zamfir now holds that position."
Edmund was in mid throw when he did a quick glance towards Mira, the knife sailing through the air, landing onto the floor. "Hold on, did you say, Zamfir? Good Heavens, what will Petty Officer Loran do when she finds out? He was rather rude to her, when Pioneer had shore leave on Poseidon Station." His face darkening with irritation.
"A good deal happened since then," she replied, taking another throw before responding. "They worked things out and she arranged to get a temporary reassignment to the station." She glanced at Edmund and continued. "She spent that time with him. She is also quite aware he's here."
"Okay, I will make certain to not have a stern talking to him then. " Edmund shook his head chuckling, but had a tinge of disappointment. "Dang it, I thought I could put him in his place. Oh well, he better make certain he treats Kaylara right. As I think that there are few who wouldn't mind setting him straight if he treated her ill. Though I am certain that she can handle things herself as well."
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Mira Jayna
Intelligence Officer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Captain Edmund Merrick
Company Commanding Officer Officer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
RSS Feed