New Security Beta Shift

Posted on Wed Apr 9th, 2025 @ 8:41am by Ensign Pearl Bijoux & Lieutenant JG Tara Marsh

Mission: A Dragon named Guardian
Location: Deck 9
2082 words - 4.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Pearl had found her shift was Beta, already there was someone who was working on Gamma Shift and that was a rather grumpy Klingon. What was the matter with him? She felt a bit sorry for the other woman who worked on Gamma Shift with Ensign Thass. Not that Pearl had any trouble with him but still there was the fact he seemed to not want to work with others or did it begrudgingly. Pearl arrived in security to see if she could meet with the one in charge for Beta Shift. Lieutenant Marsh. She had met Tara during the jam session. Taking a look at the schedule it looked like Tara was on rounds, but exactly where at?

Tapping on her combadge, Pearl deciding this to be better, "Lieutenant Marsh, this is Ensign Bijoux, care for a partner in making the rounds?"

An energetic voice returned on the comm, "Certainly. So far everything is looking good here. Some company and chat would be nice."

Using the computer to pinpoint where Tara was at, Pearl arrived, jogging down the corridor and coming up to Tara. "Hello Lieutenant Marsh. Thank you for letting me join you. How are you doing?"

"I'm well. How are you?" Tara asked genuinely. "So far, there's not a lot of action that occurs on this ship." She paused for a moment and said, "I suppose that's a good thing, right?"

"I suppose it is." Pearl flashing a smile. "With a ship this large, there is bound to be something happening in some form or other. Someone in some aspect will end up causing a little bit of trouble. Human nature, other racial natures, tempers can rise and flare up and we can have altercations."

"That's just being human. Well, I suppose that was rather ethnocentric of me to say but you know what I mean, I hope. As long as there is conscienceness there are going to be disagreements. We're here to try and smooth those out without continuously sending someone to the brig. Well, at least that's one of our jobs."

"So far I've been able to keep out of the brig. Sadly, I have spent enough time in the brig in my days as a marine. I was a bit of a problem child you might say." Pearl giving a chagrined smile. "I had an attitude and a chip on my shoulder."

Tara stopped walking when she heard that. "You left the marines and became an officer in Starfleet? That's something that you don't hear every day. And they let you in the academy despite your past?" Her eyes were wide with interest or shock.

"I had taken the exams, I passed, but there was no record of my ever taking the exam. So I went into the Marines. I served for a little bit, then I received a few months back notice that I had passed, and they took in account my service in the Marines and made me an ensign. Also the ship I had been on, they disbanded the Marines. So, I became an ensign and was put in security," Pearl answered with a shrug.

"Wow! That's quite the unusual story. Is security what you wanted to do when you tried to get into the Academy?"

"It was one of my goals at first. With that rejection and with my family abandoning me, so to speak, my adopted Uncle got me into the Marines. I was a mess though, didn't take too kindly to anyone who were in authority not after a mission went wrong and a butter bar got a good amount of people killed because they thought what they knew was better and didn't listen to their advisors." Pearl huffed at the memory.

"First, what's a butter bar?" Tara asked. "Second, do you talk to any of your family anymore?"

"A butter bar is an old slang term for a newly commissioned Lieutenant, and as for my family, I've not been able to contact them ever since my father in essence palmed me off to a friend of his and then left me. He owed a bit of money, and said creditors were wanting me as payment for his debts." Pearl giving a shrug. She tried not to care but she did care a lot more than what she was showing.

"Money? In this day and age." Something then suddenly clicked in Tara's mind more important than money. "Wait.... They did not do anything to you, did they?"

"I wasn't born on Earth. I am from the outskirts of a colony in the Gamma Quadrant. So yes, there is money being used. As for the man who took me in, My adopted Uncle he treated me well, didn't make any demands from me. He was a Marine and protected me. He did want me to try the Marines at first but I wanted, as I said, to try for StarFleet Academy when I turned of age. As for the people who wanted me as part of their payment, Dad didn't pay, and they didn't get to me." Pearl explained.

"Well, that's quite the relief," Tara replied, exhaling gratefully. "I would hate to have heard a story like that. Besides, I still may find your father and kick his ass."

"I would like to find my family and see if they are alive and well. It's been too long since I've seen them. And no word, I would love to find out if there are around. Maybe you or someone in intelligence might be able to put out feelers and track them down? It would be great!" Pearl had a wistful expression.

"I can't make any promises, but I can see what I can see," Tara answered cautiously.

"Thank you, I know it could be just a shot in the dark, or finding a needle in a haystack. I just maybe have that undying hope that I will find them someday, someway." Pearl looking at Tara as they continued down the corridor.

From what it seemed to be around the bend, the sound of feet running. "Hey get back here, you cheated! You need to pay me back NOW!"

Two individuals one in gold of engineering, the other having blue of science, came speeding towards where Pearl and Tara were at.

The gold engineering individual was in front while running. Tara purposely got in his way and said, "Halt! Now! Both of you!" Prepared for impact, Tara was going to grab hold on the engineering individual and use his momentum to cause him to fall onto the deck, with her on top of him, if he did not stop as she commanded.

The science officer stopped but the engineering officer did not. To his surprise he found himself flat on the deck with a someone on top of him. "Oof! Hey, get off me. Just who do you think you are doing this!"

Pearl stayed close to the science officer who sat on the floor, his back against the wall.

Tara answered, "I am Tara Marsh, the Assistant Chief Security Officer. Who do you two think you are, running through the corridors, like this? I want to hear what is going on between you two." She looked firmly at the two officers and said, "Now."

The man in the engineering uniform looked up at Tara with a bit of a sneer. "It's not any of your business, rookie. And can't blame me for that guy being a sucker in thinking he can match wits with me in a card game. I wanted to teach him a lesson." The man seemed rather proud of what he had done.

"He took something that I had tossed in the pile accidentally, something important and he wouldn't give it back. He said I had used it as collateral in order to sweeten the pot. I want it back; it is my father's watch!" The science officer moved towards the engineer but was stopped by Pearl.

"Don't even -" she growled out.

Tara mulled her options. "First off, mister engineer, I am not a rookie. I am also the Assistant Chief Security Officer on this ship and you will treat me with the respect I am due, or I'll send you to brig just for insubordination. Second, you can tell me your name and the names of anyone who witnessed this card game."

"I am not going to tell you anything-" he began when the science officer interrupted him. "Lieutenant Marsh, his name is Ensign Lloyd Prentice. My name is Ensign Mike Glasner. and where we played the card game was down in one of the shuttle bays."

Tara instantly made her decision, holding a couple of fingers up to Ensign Glasner to silence him for the moment. "Well, Ensign Prentice, the way I see things now is that you have a choice: you could either give Ensign Glasner back the watch, or, I can take that as evidence and we could have a tribunal determine whether there is any wrongdoing here. Which would you prefer?"

Prentice went white as a sheet, he could see that Marsh wasn't kidding. He fumbled around in his pockets and then pulled out the watch, handing it over to Tara to take. "H-here you go." giving a small glower towards her, then turned to say to Glasner. "Next time, you could have said please."

There was a thunderous glare from Glasner. If looks could kill, Prentice would be dead ten times over.

"Well, now that is settled," Tara told everyone pleasantly, "I suppose that you, Mr. Prentice, and you, Mr. Glasner could go about your separate ways. If you have any further problems, you know where to find me." She then looked at Prentice, her voice grew softer, as she firmly said, "I certainly hope not hear your name come to my attention, Mister Prentice. I know that misunderstandings can occur. However, twice starts sounding more than coincidence. Capiche'?"

Prentice nodded, "Capiche- Lieutenant Marsh." He stood up and turned to leave heading in Glasner's direction. He caught the baleful expression in Pearl's eyes, did an about face heading in the opposite direction.

When he disappeared around the bend, Ensign Glasner rose from the floor. "Thank you, I appreciate getting my father's watch. It's been in the family for a long time."

Tara simply nodded. "Be a bit more mindful in the future, Ensign Glasner, and perhaps stay away from card games."

A sheepish smile appeared as Glasner nodded. "I will make certain to do so. I am unlucky at cards; maybe that means I'll be lucky at love," he quipped with a laugh, before turning to go to his quarters. He was going to make certain to not lose the watch again.

Pearl watched as the science officer disappeared around the corner, then turned towards Tara. "Nicely done!" She grinned. "I am going to like working with you, Lieutenant."

"Why is that?" Tara asked. "Is it just my charming personality?"

"Well, yes, that, and I can tell that you are someone who is going to make the right call. I can respect it a lot. This has proved to me that you are not some, wanna-be leader but a bona fide one. You, as well, as Lieutenant S'vor."

"I'm just here to do my job, as best as I can," Tara responded, turning slightly away from Pearl.

Pearl quirked up an eyebrow, "Lieutenant, did I say something wrong?"

"Call me Tara, and no, nothing at all."

"Okay Tara it is, shall we continue on our rounds? Will we be filling out a report as to what happened here? Even though it was a minor altercation it was still caught on the cameras that are on this ship." She gave a nod towards the camera that was in the corridor.

"I hate paperwork," Tara told Pearl. "But I suppose we should document it just in case something else happens or someone else has to deal with those knuckleheads."

A quiet chuckle from Pearl. "Yup best that we do go do that. I am certain that Lieutenant S'vor will be wanting a report on this matter as well. Looks like it's back to security."

Tara heaved a heavy sigh. "I guess. Ruined a decent walk." She then perked up and said, "But if we're quick about it, we can get back to walking the corridors again quick as a whip."

Pearl nods "Indeed that sounds great." setting off down the hall with Tara.