Letting it out

[Hanna-Beth Rieve 0]

Hanna-Beth sat at a barstool next to JP Marks. She was manipulating a half-full glass containing a dark amber liquid with her fingers, every once in a while, taking a sip, then placing the glass back down on a coaster. "Four years at the academy, and I don't think I ever had a Saurian brandy."

 

JP let out a slight sigh as he finished his third glass of the liquor. "Its an old family favorite. Potent yet easy on the body; theres nothing like it in the universe."

 

"Easy on the body?" she giggled, as she slowly sipped the harsh Brandy. "Easy for you to say...I still don't understand how you could slide halfway across the holodeck floor and come our without a scratch ... with or without the safety protocols"

 

JP replaced his drink and shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Well, you have to remember, I have a bit less friction on my right arm then you do... I can slide quite a bit."

 

Hanna-Beth made an eyebrow-raising motion, but it just led her to have a strange expression on her face. "What did you do, coat it with Teflon?"

 

JP cracked a very small and uncharacteristic smile at the joke. It quickly evaporated as he lifted up the sleeve of his tunic. "Not exactly... You see this? Looks like my own but... If I push here..."

JP pressed down on a almost invisable pressure switch right below the elbow and his skin flew up with the latch. He sighed a bit as the latch came up and he showed the exposed wiring and circuitry inside. "That, Miss Rieve, is why."

 

Hanna-Beth put down her drink and moved her head back in surprise. Her eyes bugged out for a few seconds, and she said, quietly, somewhat embarrassed by her lightheartedness, "I... didn't know."

 

JP quickly flipped back down the plate and watched as it blended back in with his arm. "Not too many people do."

 

With another soft sigh he resumed the nursing of his Brandy. "It's a Maddox model... Really quite advanced and incredible..."

 

Hanna-Beth's embarrassment waned somewhat. "It's almost like you're proud of it"

 

JP's eyes widened. His 4 drink buzz was quickly replaced by a combination of anger, disgust, and sorrow. He opened his mouth and then closed it and then stared straight out into nothingness. "Pride," JP said softly, "is not the word that comes to mind..."

 

And all that the woman could say was, "I'm sorry." The drink must have been getting to her more than she had thought.

 

JP watched as his brandy was refilled and he nursed it slowly. He coughed slightly and then leaned back in his chair. "Its OK, Miss Rieve, its just a bit of a soft spot for me."

 

JP's discomfort was readily apparent, and Hanna-Beth decided that now wasn't the time to resume playing psychologist, especially not with an elevated BAC. She tried to reduce the tension, and change the subject, "You can call me Hanna"

 

JP stopped himself from allowing his thoughts to drift back to Alpha Prime, remembering his promise to Kroells to "loosen" up. With a downing of his drink sat back up. "Well Hanna, call me JP. And honestly, I want to try and forget about my past and attempt to 'loosen' up. So lets go toss some darts, and perhaps, you can explain to me why you joined the Starfleet Marine corp and I can tell you why Starfleet Security is superior." JP winked slightly at Hanna, trying desperetely to "loosen" his image.

 

Hanna chuckled; the man seemed to be open ... at least about some of his insecurities. She stepped up from the barstool and responded "You always need a new challenge, JP?"

 

JP smiled slightly. "Yeah, something like that." He began walking over to the dart board and started a game up. "So tell me Hanna, why did you join the Marines? I mean... You don't really seem like the type to me."

 

Hanna kept up with JP's dart thing. She wasn't paying very much attention to the game. "You mean the high school dropout who couldn't make the grades, so she escapes to carrying big phasers in the hopes it would compensate ... no, it's not really like that, despite the best of rumors in San Francisco." She let JP have a few moments to let him know that she knew about the image, then opened her mouth again. "I was running away, but not that way... I had to make something more of myself than a second-generation farmer in the middle of nowhere" The dart hit the 12, second ring.

 

JP raised an eyebrow and moved up to shoot. "Yeah, but the Marines? Couldn't you of done something other then the 'Spacer Militia?'"

JP shot close to the bullseye, a 3.

 

"Command would probably want me to say something like 'the recruiters came and I was blown away by the comraderie and spirit of the Marines' mission,' or something like that. The truth is probably that the Marines were there, I guess. Those desires -- to go places and to make a difference -- they grew on me. What can I say, they turned me into an idealist... In the end, we're all on the same boat, JP." 19 points, barely hitting the edge of the board.

.

"Well that seems all well and good but... Eh... Maybe its just the Brandy talking but I really don't think your people belong on Starships." 1 point, just above the bullseye.

"I mean its nothing personal, but the Marines seem too Gung Ho for my tastes. I mean its all rah rah rah... No sense of dignity."

 

"I'm sure it's nothing personal, JP," she added with a note of sarcasm, "Marine training is more than just screaming loudly. It builds discipline and teamwork." After her recent experiences, she was almost convincing herself. "Putting the needs of the many ahead of the needs of the one, as a Vulcan might say." Hanna-Beth didn't realize how much defending her own existence to another could help her come to terms with her lot. She shot again, 18 points, in the first ring.

 

JP shook his head and managed to score a bullseye. "If you say so but lets be honest with ourselves. What does the Marine accomplish by butting in on Starfleet Security? We are trained to handle the same situations except rather then dealing with it purely by 'warlike' methods, we are experienced in Negociations and Tactical scenereos... I just can't understand why you became the go-to members on the ship..."

 

"Nice shot. Is that what this is all about? Turf? You want to see more action? Let's face it, Starfleet is in way over its head. I'm no Kent McClure, [-- ed. FNS News Correspondent/Analyst] but at the rate the galaxy's going the Fleet's going to need all the help it can get. The Federation is changing, or at least that's what they say in my parents' generation. I'm bound to believe them." Hanna-Beth concentrated on the target for a few seconds. 20 pts, knocks off one of JP's old darts.

 

JP scoffed a bit and shook his head. He threw another dart. "I don't think thats accurate. The galaxy is changing but its for the better. You know though... Maybe its just because of the bias between our two groups is why I don't trust the Marines. I mean if you heard some of the horror stories told to us... In fact, its almost like your group was more responsible for damage then for cleaning it up." JP connected with yet another bullseye. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I don't feel like my group of trained "officers" should have to worry about a bunch of kids with rambunctious dreams and too many Rifles... No offense Hanna."

 

Hanna couldn't help but let out a big belly laugh. "It's those 'horror stories' that help keep up our reputation." She continued, "We follow orders, you follow orders. I'm not sure what they told you, but, I think action will speak louder than rumor." Hanna-Beth mindlessly threw another dart at the board, hitting the border of the 7 and the 19, somewhere in the center of the board. It records as a 7.

 

JP smiles lightly and throws his last dart, a 4, close to the center. Despite two perfect bullseyes, he still lost the game. "Sigh... Well looks like you got this one. And maybe you're right... I mean you don't seem too bad, although, I still say your shooting can use more practice." Another weak smile escapes JP's lips.

 

Hanna-Beth wasn't sure if JP would ever get over the indoctrination that comes from a sense of inferiority. She hoped he would. If only he could get over his prejudice, he seemed like he could be a nice person. She smiled back. "Good game. If I don't detox by 0500, the XO's going to have my head."

 

JP nodded. "Indeed. It was fun Hanna." JP extended his hand to Hanna. "Maybe we could do this again sometime?"

 

She firmly shook his hand, and with much resolve, added, "Maybe," then, she turned around, and left the bar. JP looked after her one last time. "Indeed..." He sighed a bit and sat back at the bar, wondering if he should of continued to bury his feelings rather then letting them out...