Unconventional Arms

Posted on 11 Apr 2016 @ 8:44am by Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Lieutenant Parisa Rykov DCS

2,141 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: USS Black Hawk - Di Pasquale's Quarters
Timeline: MD 6

The days and weeks went on aboard the USS Black Hawk, and it had been sometime since their latest Consortium incident. The Captain was back on his feet and commanding the starship once more. Lieutenant Di Pasquale had been proving herself thus far to be a more than capable officer, and it was starting to calm Doctor Rykov's paranoia and sleepless nights. She was less nervous and anxious around Camila when on the Bridge or passing the new Security Chief in the corridors.

Parisa Rykov was finding herself sleeping normal hours and getting back into a solid work and sleep schedule, still avoiding unnecessary interactions with people, but not keeping her back to the walls and bulkheads at all times. She also was not sleeping with the makeshift Romulan styled disruptor that she had managed to put together in the course of a few weeks when the Black Hawk was in the middle of a Consortium scare and Commander Kos was locked away in a holding cell.

She still waited sometime until she stopped sleeping with the disruptor under her pillow or on her night stand, but when she was confident enough and felt at peace, she stopped sleeping with it all together. However, it was still in her quarters, no longer charged, but still starring at her every time she was in her quarters. It sat there on a shelf as a constant reminder of her fear, nagging her about her insecurities and mistrust of her shipmates.

Rykov knew it was time to get rid of it. However, she didn't want to just dispose of it through the replicator's recycling function. To do so would give it no meaning, sure it would have gotten rid of the disruptor, but it would not have ridden her of the real problems behind why she felt the need to make the weapon in the first place. For that, she needed help. However, it was not the sort of help she felt comfortable seeing a counselor for.

Walking around the starship holding a Romulan looking disruptor was not the smartest idea. So, of course Rykov was not about to strut down the corridors modeling her disruptor in open view. Instead, she boxed it up in a metallic case and carried it as if she were on duty and heading to somewhere of importance. Instead, her trip landed her outside Lieutenant Di Pasquale's quarters and pressing the door chime. "Lieutenant, it's Doctor Rykov" said Parisa aloud.

After she had gotten off duty, Camila had gone back to her quarters and taken a sonic shower before changing into a simple light blue blouse of an exotic material she couldn't quite place, a pair of black loose-fitting pants and a simple pair of black slippers which seemed to be extraordinarily fuzzy. She had just pulled her violin out of its case when she heard her door chime and smiled, thinking it was Temerant before she heard the voice of the Chief Engineer.

She frowned as she remembered the hostile looks and seemingly antagonistic comments the half Romulan woman had been giving her since their first encounter and wondered if tonight was going to be the escalation or ending of the hostilities. She set the violin down in its case but left it open and came to her feet. "Come in," she said. As yet, her quarters were still relatively spartan, but there was a picture of an older couple and her in a cadet uniform and several other mementos from places she had visited scattered about.

Chief Engineer Rykov, was through the doors as soon as she had the woman's approval and the doors parted ways. She waited until they were closed before she dared to utter a word about the woman's predecessor, the Consortium, or what was in Rykov's case. She simply looked around the woman's room and admired it for its sparse décor. It reminded her somewhat of her own quarters. "I never pictured you for being a minimalist" commented Doctor Rykov. "Of course, I never pictured being aboard a starship amid a god damn hostile takeover from the inside either" she added scoffing.

Rykov headed over towards the woman's living area and sat her metallic case on a small coffee table, but the table was sturdy and easily held the case's weight. "Speaking of the devil, I thought that I should bring you this" said Doctor Rykov as she knelt down and unlocked the case, opening it slowly and stepping away from the case. Its content, the disruptor was left in full view of Camila.

"It looks Romulan, but isn't...entirely at least" commented the Chief Engineer. "I had to make due with the materials we had on hand or the ones that I could produce with the industrial replicators down in Engineering when the work shifts were skeletal or light" she explained. "It's Romulan in design, but mostly Federation Starfleet in materials and components" she explained further.

Camila nodded at the woman's initial comments, but her further curious comments led her to hold her thoughts until she stepped forward and looked into the case which the Chief Engineer had placed on the table. What she saw made her raise an eyebrow, but refrained from reaching into it to remove the lethal weapon. She recognized several components immediately but was curious as to how the woman had assembled it all together to make it look like a Romulan disruptor.

"Might I ask where you obtained all the parts necessary to put this together?" She asked, willing to give the Engineer a chance to explain herself before she continued.

The Chief Engineer scoffed. "Yeah, you can ask, but all you need is right there for you to look at, Lieutenant" said Rykov nonchalantly. "Look, it's easy. We know what a Romulan disruptor looks like. So, I used that as my model for looks. From there, it was just a matter of getting my hand on durable materials that were easy to work with with the proper melting and welding tools. I couldn't just walk up towards a replicator and ask it to make me a phaser and sure the hell couldn't ask for a Romulan disruptor. Your predecessor would have been all over me" said Rykov.

She shrugged and sighed. "You know back on Earth way before phasers, humans were known to make projectile weapons...guns. They could be made from plastic and even wood" said Rykov. "Materials were easy enough to get my hands on. Nothing was illegal or off limits. That disruptor is made with parts and pieces that are found in everyday tricorders and used in Engineering. That's how I was able to make it without having Security on me about it. I constructed it slowly and only used material that nobody would bat a lash about in small amounts over the course of several days...just simple materials ordered from Engineering" she said crossing her arms.

"Considering the fact that none of it individually is against regulations," Camila said slowly. "Assembling it into a functional weapon is against regulations. However, since you are here and turning it in yourself instead of it being found by a sensor sweep says a lot. I realize that the current times have been very difficult for everyone on the ship, Doctor Rykov, but taking matters into your own hands was a very risky step."

Arms still crossed, Rykov smirked and let out a small cackle. "That man you replaced was a treacherous bastard" said Parisa bitterly. "Framing people I respected and cared about, and betrayed the Captain and Starfleet...hell, betrayed the whole Federation. Risky steps, yes, but I deemed them necessary. I couldn't trust anyone, and I sure the hell did not trust him. I wasn't about to trust you either" she admitted.

She picked up the disruptor and checked it over before she looked at the Chief Engineer again. "Have you ever had any threats against you due to your heritage, or for any other reasons since you have been aboard the ship?"

"Of course, I have lieutenant" said replied Rykov. "My heritage does not play much of a factor in most threats though. My medical physicians know I'm part Romulan. Obviously the Captain knows, and Security can easily pull up that detail in my personnel file, but for the most part this hijab covers my ears and if anyone asks, I just play the Vulcan card" she explained. "For the most part, I receive threats because I'm..a bi-...a bit high strung for most people's liking."

"Because you're a bitch," Camila said bluntly. "I can be one, too...when the situation calls for it, but I've discovered that you can get more done with a bit of honey than you can with a jar of vinegar. You'd also receive less threats against your person and more allies. When I heard it was you at the door, I wondered if you were here to escalate matters between us, but I'm glad that isn't the case. Unless I'm wrong, but if I am, I'm the one holding the disruptor at the moment."

Rykov looked at Camila. "Hey, there are kids aboard" said Rykov with a smile. "I am trying to keep things PG, but yes, I am well aware that I'm known as the Chief Engineering Bitch by some members of the crew" added the Chief Engineer. "Yes, honey, a disruptor that's at least a week and some overdue for a charge...so, you are holding a dead disruptor, but a good paper weight" quipped Parisa.

"Neither one of us are kids, Doctor Rykov," Camila said as she set the disruptor down. "I know how hard things have been and I was shocked to learn that my predecessor did what he had done. I never expected to be made Chief of Security when I came aboard, or having to fight the Chief of Operations on the T'Pring or anything else that I've been called upon to do." She looked directly into the woman's eyes. "But...I will never back down in my support of loyal Starfleet officers or the goals that Starfleet sets for us and expects us to meet and exceed."

"So, with that being said, I will have to make a report about that," she gestured at the disruptor. "But I will note that you brought it to me voluntarily, as well as your open admission about the issues which some crew have with you. I am the Chief of Security and I will not tolerate such hostile actions on the ship and people which I have vowed to protect."

Parisa nodded "No, neither one of us are kids and neither one us expected to take over our respective Departments aboard the Black Hawk...or at least not as quickly as we have. I was hostile towards you because you trained under him. He was your superior, and I wasn't sure until recently that you could be trusted. So, take this as a gesture that you have my respect and trust..and my trust doesn't come easily" she added.

"I understand the need to file a report on the disruptor. By all means, do so. However, I'd prefer if you left the issues with the crew's behavior towards me off the record and not disclosed in any official report, Lieutenant" said Rykov. "I have a reputation as a bitch. It's one I worked to build and I'd like to keep it."

Camila shook her head. "I never trained under him," she said. "I came from Deep Space Eleven when everything started to go down. I even went over his head when I found vital information which needed to go directly to the Captain even before I knew he was a traitor. I'll keep your reputation in check, but I want your word that you will come to me for anything you feel is a threat to your person. If I find out that something happens and you didn't report it, I give you my word that I will come down on you like a skinless Targ filled with molecular decay detonators dropped from orbit."

Parisa was intrigued by this and the words of the woman were sweetly reassuring. "I'm sorry for making assumptions about you. I assumed the two of you were close, and I kept my head down and didn't say anything to anyone except my cat" she said apologizing, which was a rarity for her. "I like to fight my own fights, Lieutenant. However, if something serious occurs, I'll report it" she said, not quite promising, but it was progress.

"Then that's good enough for now," Camila said as she accepted the woman's apology. "If you ever feel the need to talk, my door is open."

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