"Colors"

[Guest Laarell]

"Colors"

Lieutenants Daniel Michaels and Laarell Teykier

July 06, 23--

 

Zero-hundred hours: the witching hour. The time when all good Starfleet officers were in bed, asleep. Except those looking for engineers versed in rigging lighting for tarantulas. Looking around Engineering, Laarell sighed. So late -- so few officers around.

 

Daniel happened to be one such engineer. He worked the late shift tonight not for the fun hours, or the interesting conversation, however.

 

Making her way to the nearest engineer, Teykier put a small smile on her face. She didn't recognize him, but it was never too late at night to make a new acquaintance.

 

Daniel, on the other hand, knew well who was coming towards him at the moment. Noticing Engineering now deserted, he returned her smile.

 

"Think you might be up for a challenge?" she asked, friendly as ever.

 

"Perhaps."

 

"Up to rewiring a light for a pet of mine?"

 

He paused for a moment. Rewiring a pet light what was he an electrician? "What kind of a...creature is it?"

 

"Orange baboon tarantula. Pternochilus murinus."

 

He gave her a small smile as he looked down on her. "I would have guessed a black widow."

 

Eyebrow raised, she smirked. "And what would make you think that?"

 

He gave her a knowing little smile. "They eat their mates."

 

Closing her eyes a moment, she was doing her best not to smack him. "I'll ask someone else."

 

He smirked, enjoying the fact that he managed to irk her so easily. "Secretive with John, are we?"

 

She glanced at him, eyes narrowing. "And what in gods' names would you know about that?

 

More then you'd want me too. Far more then I like to picture."

 

A humorless smile as she walked back towards the doors to Engineering. "Go to Hell."

 

He smirked behind her at achieving this reaction so quick, but he was hardly done with her yet. "He hasn't told you has he?"

 

Pausing before she reached the exit, "Told me what?"

 

"What he did after he resigned from Starfleet. Before coming to this backwater dump."

 

Stomping back towards him, she clasped her hands behind her back to maintain some sense of control. "Name and rank."

 

"Daniel Michaels, Lieutenant. Most people call me Dan. You'll call me Daniel."

 

"You will call me "Sir", Lieutenant."

 

He folded his arms at his chest, showing a small amount of animosity towards her sudden tone of voice. "No, Laarell...I don't think I'll be doing that. I don't call people I don't respect 'Sir'."

 

She shrugged. "You'll call me it whether you respect me or not. And as for "Laarell" ... you'll wish you hadn't if you do call me that again."

 

His brow furrowed the slightest bit. She needed to be taught a lesson. "Laarell if you do anything worthwhile with your life, you'll learn to respect power, and those more powerful then you. I am one such person."

 

The Orion literally laughed at that. "I'm not the one stuck on the graveyard shift in Engineering."

 

"Sometimes power isn't as glorious as the pips are, Laarell. Then again, after the scandal on QoNoS I'd assume your parents would be saying the same thing."

 

That did it. Whipping her hand across his face, her sharp nails raked across his skin. "How dare you repeat such malicious gossip to my face? And how the hell did you know that?"

 

He smiled as his hand felt his face, a slow sting setting in. "It's my job to know things Laarell."

 

"Your job, Lieutenant, is to maintain the warp core and to repair systems. Sorry to inform you otherwise. Now, give me a good reason I shouldn't go wake up Commander Xavier around now and give him a piece of my mind."

 

He smiled, she still thought she had the upper hand. "Because Travis...oh wait, John will pay a price."

 

Another surprise, another twitch of the eyebrow. "You would drag someone into your own little ego-trip?" She rubbed at her eyes a moment, sighing. "No, don't answer that. Instead ... why are you allowed to serve on a starship? After all, you seem like something of a mental case to me," she said, smirking.

 

He let out a small chuckle at her, such close mindedness. "Mental? Hardly. However, in my line of work one must not be in the spot light. However, if I am to play the night shift Lieutenant on this little dreadnought I need to have people wrapped around my finger. And that's where you come in my little green friend."

 

Something within her urged her to smack the arrogant bastard again. She listened to it. Such a rewarding feeling... "I have nothing to say to you, and so help me, if you drag Kroells into this, I'll make your life miserable." With that, she once again headed towards her destination: the exit.

 

"You know Laarell, I was prepared to keep this isolated to this station, however you give me little choice but to show just how far I'm willing to go."

 

Shaking her head, she turned to him once more. "Lieutenant, you've never seen an angry Orion, have you?"

 

"There is a reason some refer to us as animal women..."

 

"Yes, but I usually use the term in respects to your higher reasoning skills."

 

Snarling, she gave the engineer a look of utter disdain before slapping him one more time, for good measure. "You'll pay for that jab, Sallowface." The first time she'd ever used a derogatory term about a human, but if this scum was to remain aboard, not the last.

 

His hand grabbed the wrist as it moved away from his face, putting enough pressure on it to get her knees to buckle forcing her towards him. "That's the third time you've decided to resort to physical violence against me. I assure you it will be the last time you touch me in any fashion."

 

"Quite honestly you've pissed me off, something very hard to do. So instead of posturing myself and threatening you in a civil manner I'll simply 'lay it on you' as I'm sure you so adore. From this point on until I release you your unborn nephew's life will hang in the balance of your decisions."

 

He pulled her wrist away from him causing her to fall to the ground with a thud. "And just for kicks I think I'll toy with Travis for a bit. Run along now Laarell, its quite late, I'm sure he's up waiting for you, lovestruck as ever."

 

Stunned, she stared at Michaels, rubbing at her wrist as she pulled herself to her feet. "You have made an enemy today, Lieutenant."

 

"And yet I am the one with power over you. Travis will be getting a taste of my influence soon, maybe then you'll be more cooperating."

 

"We shall see..." she muttered, heading out without so much as a backward glance. Cocky bastard...