<USS Avalon> A Dangerous Alliance


   A Dangerous Alliance

/Yeoman Emilia Renaldi and Ensign Mary O'Donnell/

Moving carefully along the corridor, Mary considered that deck clearance didn't really work as a solo activity. But since coming out of NoWhere her comm badge seemed not to be working and contacting other members of security was therefore difficult. As she neared a junction the sound of soft footfalls on the carpeted surface alerted her she was no longer alone. Pressing herself against the wall, she edged her way up to the junction phaser rifle at the ready.

Mia walked down the hallway looking down at a PADD. She sighed, her nerves on edge. For this she left the safety of Earth. Tapping on her padd she, suddenly stopped when she thought she felt no longer alone.

The footfalls stopped. Mary's heart leapt to her throat./ Do I expose myself or play the waiting game?/ Staying put she edged herself down the wall ready to roll out firing.

Mia pulled her side arm from it's holster and called out. "Identify yourself."

"Ships Security. And you?"

"Commander's Yeoman." Mia replied with a sigh.

"Tell's me a lot. I'm supposed to take you at your word am I?" Mary felt her heart trying to burst through her chest.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Amelia Isabella Renaldi , Yeoman, 44323345." She rattled off. "Better?" She asked as she came around the corner, looking for the voice.

"Thank you. Although I've no way of checking that's who you really are." lowering the phaser rifle Mary turned to face the other woman. " Mary Kathleen O'Donnell, Ensign. I won't bother with the number."

Mia laughed. "Nice to meet you, Ensign. Oh and thanks for asking questions before shooting."

Mary laughed back. " Damn sight more courteous to you than the last person I pointed this thing at."

"Well thank Zeus for small favors." Mia smiled for a moment. "Looks like small ones were all we got around here, by the looks of things."

"Hmmm. What are you doing wandering the ship Amelia? I take it we're still under seige, or is everything fine and no-one made a shipwide broadcast yet." She eyed the blue-eyed blonde carefully noticing a slight well-to-do bearing despite the rank.

"We've gotten most of them." She replied as she looked at the scroll at the bottom of her PADD's screen. "There's hand full here and there but they're all contained decks. There are two ships outside, one which attacked us and the other our knights in shining warp cores."

"Still doesn't explain why you're out here alone though. Any of our crew contained with them?" Mary looked a little embarrassed. "My comm is out, and I don't want to use the computer in case it's being monitored."

Mia checked her PADD again. "I was collecting damage reports. Engineering is still locked down so it's taking longer to get to repairs. Sick bay is flooded, but there's no alerts about our people being taken." Looking up Mia looked around then asked. "Why are you alone?"

Sucking in a breath through gritted teeth. "Can't go into that. More than my job's worth." /However long I'm still going to have it,that is./

"Understood." Mia replied with a nod.

"Okay. Care for some company? I don't think its advisable for either of us to be alone. And I'm sure your Commander will be severely pissed off if something was to happen to you." Mary smiled, this conversation was going well./ Haven't had cause to bite her head off yet!/

"Sure you can come along." Mia replied. Glad to have the company, it helped take her mind off of not hearing from Skyler. "We should have you comm. fixed."

Nodding. "You can fill me in on the ship, my posting was a bit short notice. I feel a little out of my depth."

Heading back down the hall, Mia began tapping at her PADD again. "What would you like to know?"

"Well so far I've met my squad leader, my department head, the Captain, some stuck-up Senior Lieutenant and a very nice doctor. So I'm kind of in the dark on a lot things." /Best not mention that I've annoyed them all in some way./

"The stuck up SL, must have been Manson, or whatever he is now." Mia replied with a smirk. "The doctor had to be McEntire. I'm so sorry you had to meet Sierra."

"No think his name was Shimbrodus. Could of got the rank wrong, the doctor wasn't McEntire though it was a handsome looking guy. I thought the CMO was called Jameson?" Her head was beginning to spin.

"Manson was Shimbrodus before he got married, and Jameson's married now too." Mia explained.

"Now I'm really confused! How many weddings have happened since I reported at Betazed?" Mary mentally shook herself.

"Three." Mia told her. "Shimbrodus, McEntire, Garrity."

"Right, I've really been out of it then. What's the Captain like generally, I couldn't get a good handle on him."

Mia shrugged. "Couldn't really tell you. I work solely for Commander Skyler."

/That didn't help. I wanted to know how deep the hole I've dug actually is./ "And what's she like to work for?"

Mia wanted to smile but didn't. "She's not to bad. She complins about the Captain, but not bitterly if that helps." There didn't seem to be to many repairs needed on the inside of the ship, just systems and the outside. "You met him, what do you think of him?"

"Well he seemed nice enough when we first met on the bridge."/ Our relationship has soured a bit since then./

Mia looked over at the young woman. "Just keep in mind this hasn't been the best of light to be judging people. I'm sure he's not himself right now."

/I'm sure he's not either./ Mary looked down at her feet. "Lot of difficulties with this mission."

"I'm not sure why but it seems we always get these kinda missions." Mia sighed and shook her head. "If I didn't know any better I'd think someone was out to screw with our heads."

"My head was screwy enough before I got here, you try living on a planet full of telepaths and empaths for nearly a year." She said grimly, "Then I was told to report to this ship without a by your leave. No-one I've asked so far either doesn't know or won't say why I'm here. Apparently I was 'chosen', whatever that means."

"Try asking again when this is all over." Mia offered. "Things aren't to bad around her normally."

"Somehow I don't think things will be any clearer then. How did you come to be here?" She was really pleased that this had turned into a pleasant chat.

"Asked for a transfer." Mia answered. "My last boss was an ass, and I wanted a ship assignment."

"Every so often you get those. Unfortunately if I come across someone being an ass, regardless of their rank I feel duty bound to point it out. My temper is troublesome too. Wish I could be as level-headed as my elder sisters." She beamed at the mere thought of Sinead and Moira, which was quickly dashed when she remembered Moy was due to graduate and she wouldn't be there.

Mia caught the flash in the young woman's eyes. "You ok?"

"This posting means I'm missing my sisters graduation from the Academy. She's in Flight School, a navigator. Always been into flying and such."

"I think we're heading back to Earth after this." Mia said reassuringly. "We could just make it."

Mary shook her head. "Don't think I'll be getting any shore leave somehow."

Mia smiled. "I've never known Commander Skyler to deny it."

"I think it'll be vetoed on a higher authority. Anyway I was informed before I left Betazed the posting negated any leave I had due and as it was a ship I'd have to serve a certain amount of time before being eligible again."

"Damn." Mia replied as she shook her head. "Who did you piss off?"

"Be easier to say who I didn't piss off." She said rather sheepishly.

Mia laughed and put her arm around the other woman. "I think I could like you."

She unleashed a trademark O'Donnell full-beam smile, her jade eyes sparkling. "I could like you too."

"Good cause you know us girls gotta stick together." Mia replied as they rounded another corner.

"Particularly when you consider the men on this boat." Mary laughed.

"Wait until you meet the other half. They don't improve." Mia rolled her eyes and sighed. "But you'll find out soon enough."

"Other half?" She looked at her quizzically. " The only one who looks like a nice lad is that Cadet on the bridge, that doctor was a bit of alright but I got the feeling he was already attached. And I've experienced the Sierra charm, I've never been that flustered around a man before. Totally disarmed me."

Mia shook her head and laughed. "The Cadet's a baby, the Doc is taken, and Sierra's slime." Mia replied. "The only ones I ever thought were worth a go are now married."

"Figures. So prospects are slim then?" She raised an eyebrow.

"They are for me, but I'm picky." Mia replied. "But we can still go out looking for you."

"Not trying to marry me off as well?" Mary grinned.

"Good, 'cos I want to have a bit of fun before I settle down. Anyone in particular I should avoid?"

"Anyone with a wedding ring, the Commander's sister, and the Commander." Mia replied quickly. "And Sierra on principle."

"The wedding ring and Sierra I get, whats this about the Commander and her sister?" This somewhat cryptic response needed clarifying.

"Her sister is preggers and engaged and the Commander's off the game board."

"Pregnant? Any particular reason the Commander's off the board, not that I'm into older women."

Mia wasn't sure how much to say, or what to tell her since she had no idea herself. "She's getting over a bad divorce." It was partly true. "And yeah we seem to be having a baby boom."

"Something in the water?" Mary laughed.

"Whatever it is they can keep it away from me that's for sure." Mia laughed. "There all worse then bunnies."

"How many are 'In the Family Way'?" Mary turned serious, she didn't want to get caught out.

Mia looked up as they walked, counting the number in her head. "Three, maybe four, I think."

"Crikey! So the ship will soon be overrun with sproglets. Is the ship big enough?" The thought of corridors filled with the patter of little feet delighted her.

"Another headache for our Captain then." She giggled. "You come from a big family?"

Mia nodded. "Three brothers and a bunch of cousins. You?"

Mary smiled "Oh yes my sisters, and millions of cousins. Irish you see."

Again Mia laughed. "I kinda got that when you introduced yourself, and by looking at you."

"And if we're going by racial stereotypes your family must be old Aryan stock?"

Mia nodded. "I was born in Munich, but my family actrally comes from Russian stock."

"Russian? Fascinating. Aristocratic roots I take it?"

Nodding again, this time she blushed. "The rest of them more then myself."

"My Mum and Dad run a pub. How stereotypical is that?" She laughed again.

Mia laughed. "So much for being such an advanced society."

"Try serving synthale to an Irishman or a Scot for that matter, you'll soon learn how unadvanced we can be in the British Isles!" Her laughter had brought tears to her eyes.

Mia roared with understanding. "I bet it goes over as well as giving a Russian a bottle of synthetic vodka."

Mary's sides hurt as she roared too. "Or a German synthetic schnapps."

"That, Mary, could get you shot." Mia replied as she wiped at the tears on her eyes.

"Blindfold optional?" The tears streamed down her face now.

"Hell no. If your gonna mess with a man's drink your damn well gonna see his boot or phaser blast coming."

"If someone gave me synthetic whiskey they wouldn't see anything 'til they woke up in hospital."

Mia nodded her head in agreement. "We're gonna have to get a drink together."

"Hell yes! Liven this here ship up a bit! All girls together Amelia!" Mary proclaimed, "Look out Avalon, here we come!"



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