Judgement – Black Sheep D
by Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Karen Villiers
Post Details
On:
"Penny for your thoughts commander" asked Rick, as he came to stand by the railings next to the commander. He joined her there placing both hands on the cold metal bars and holding them tightly. He leaned slightly forward to look at the view, that he was sharing with the commander who he had not moved from her position since he had spotted her from two decks down.
Karen's lips creased as she glanced sideways at Dunham recalling the last time they had spoken, "We must stop meeting like this," she said with the beginnings of a smile, "people'll talk, and you'll not get rich touring the promenade asking strange women for moeny when they're looking pensive," she added.
"Its nothing I can share, Rick, on or off the record," that was the problem with legal cases, "but I can talk," she continued, thinking, just ask me the right questions in the right way if you want any answers.
Rick took a long and deep thoughtful breath. He thought that Commander Villiers the stations Executive Officer and JAG Office of must be feeling very alone and isolated right now, he didn't envy her for the job she was about to do involving the trail. But he wished he could help her in some small way, in any way. Perhaps he could be a friend? "I'm not sure what the Mrs would think about that either." said Rick with a smile and referring back to her earlier comment.
He shrugged, moving back to the conversation at hand. "I know you can't share commander." He smiled in a friendly manner, he looked over his shoulder to the nearest bar. "but hey....lets go share drink, and will figure out what we can talk about."
Karen pushed back from the rail and released her fingers from around it leaving her prints and the outlining sheen of moisture where her skin had edged the metal. "I can agree to a drink," she told him. "and there's a whole lot we can talk about ... like the weather, or should that be climate control?"
Dunham smiled at the joke as the two of them entered the Red Lion pub. "I think its climate control." said Rick philosophically as he leaned on the bar to order a drink "i will have a beer please" asked rick to the bar tender with a friendly smile, "and what ever the commander is having?"
"A pint of Black Sheep if you either have it, or can make it," Karen said, "If not, I'll take the same as him."
Dunham stood there totally and utterly gob smacked, mouth hanging open, and a slight gormless look on his face. He closed his mouth with the back of his hand, then shook himself. The commander drank black sheep! That's brilliant! "My Executive officer drinks black sheep....that is so cool." said Rick whilst taking a sip of his drink and talking into his glass.
Karen chuckled at his reaction, "I'd tell you I can pull a pint too, but you look as though you might have an aneurism," she said as she raised her glass, "college bar," she added and took a sip of the smooth dark liquid. "Shall we prop up the bar or find somewhere to sit?"
Rick was very impressed with the XO's credentials, he smiled and proffered his glass in a saluting toast to the commander. He then inclined his head in the direction of a table and some chairs. “Let’s have a sit down, I’m sure we have both been on our feet most of the day.” They made there way over to the table, and sat down. Rick placed his beer glass on a small circular beer matt. He watched the bubbles in his glass for a moment reminiscing a little. “Easier times back then wasn’t it commander, at college….at star fleet academy. The galaxy was just a little bit more well ordered back then.” He smiled. Rick had been born and raised on a starfleet starship, his whole life had been either on earth or on starships either as a civilian boy or as an officer.
"The good old days," Karen agreed with a tilt of her glass towards Dunham, "You know I didn't look at Starfleet until I got my internship with the JAG office when I was writing my Masters thesis. Its funny really, at university I was a prodigy, and a few years younger than everyone else and couldn't quite join in. Then when I went to the Academy, a degree and a Masters already in my bag I was older than most and still couldn't quite join in. Its a damned good thing I've never been a follower, Rick." Karen pasued and sipped her drink before wrapping her long fingers around the cold glass, "I think we make our own order, we shape it to fit and it isn't always Federation shaped."
Rick took a reflective sip of his pint and nodded in agreement with the commander. "True.....Though..." he said thoughtfully, "Starfleet has always been my order you know? Parents were officers, mum went on to be a Captain, I grew up on a starship, then it was the academy on earth, then back to starships." Rick laughed to himself. "You know I had no real concept of money until I came here."
"A sound grasp of commerce never did anyone any harm," Karen said, "and there'll always be people who want more, even if they don't really need it."
Rick nodded in agreement again. "Very true boss ,very true." Dunham realised he was being a little rude banging on about his up bringing, so he decided to ask the commander about hers. "So what about you commander, were did you grow up?"
"Me? All over the place. My dad was in the civillian diplomatic service and from time to time he was posted off-world, when he was we'd all pack up and join him. My mum was generally able to find a visiting lecturership at one or more of the Universities on the host world. They thought it was important that we stick together and gave me and my brother a taste of life off-world," she said.
Rick nodded in agreement again and smile empathetically. "Same here, my parents always thought it best to keep my and my sister together, though she was the oldest, and went to the academy at the first opportunity she got. What about you commander? were you the older or younger sibling?"
"Karl's two two years older," Karen said, "He got all the tact and I got all the brains, his words. Did you ever consider anything other than Starfleet?"
Dunham shook his head gently from side to side a thoughtful expression on his face. "No....., not really....its always been starfleet, you know? Never really thought of considering much else."
Karen nodded. Her glass was now half empty, "A bit like me and the law," she mused.
Rick smiled. "In a way, we are very lucky people to know what it is we want to do with our lives and our careers." he took another sip of his drink, he made a satisfied ahhhh noise, smacking his lips together at the taste of the refreshing pint. "But there is more to life than work, commander, tell me what do you do in your spare time...." he smiled. "If and when you get any." He said, knowing the commander had been very, very busy recently.
"Fell running," Karen told him, "I've got a couple of holodeck programmes that recreate the runs I've done back home. Its not quite the same, but out here its the bet I can do."
"Fell running....as in running up big hills and mountains...?" Rick smiled softly and shook his head gently from side to side. "That's it? We gotta get you out more commander"
As she smiled Karen nodded, "Got it in one. I'd rather do that than spend an hour in a gym, not that I've had a lot of time to indulge since Ii got here; if its not one thing its another," she said wanly. "Can I get you another?" she asked seeing they were both approaching the bottom of their glasses.
Rick nodded and smiled wryly "Yes please. May I have black ship?" he asked politely, he then finished off the rest of his current pint. Rick was hoping that this pleasant and friendly conversation was taking the commanders mind off her troubles involving the upcoming trial. Rick could bet that it was on her mind now probably twenty four seven, so in his own way he had tried to help.
"Sure," Karen said as she got to her feet. She ambled over to the bar giving him a few minutes to himself before she returned with two more pints of smooth dark liquid. She placed them on the table before sitting and draining the last half inch from her first glass. "Not bad," Karen said.
Dunham took a satisfying gulp of the newly presented ale. He nodded in his agreement. "Yep, not replicated here, I heard the Land Lord imports it directly from Earth." He smiled in appreciation to the beverage "Good Stuff" he said again after another sip of his drink. "So" said Rick conversationally "Fell Running aside what else do you do for fun around here?"
"I'll let you know if I ever get the time for any," Karen replied.
Rick scratch the stubble on his chin, that sounded awfully depressing to him, and all he wanted to do was give her a sympathetic hug. But being his superior officer he decided on some advise instead "Sounds like you need to make some you time commander, you know...maybe start a hobby you could do with other people?"
"You haven't branched out into counselling, have you?" Karen asked with exaggerated mock suspicion. "I guess it goes with the territory - in my job a bit of distance is sometimes necessary."
"But boss....all you do is your job. It's like ninety percent of your life. Are you telling me that you love your work so much you don't want to do anything else?" Rick scratched the stubble on his chin and leaned back in his chair.
"As the saying goes, someone's got to do it," Karen replied tracing her fingers through the moisture that condensed on the cold side of the glass. "I don't mind taking time out, as long as it doesn't mean that things fall by the wayside."
"And with things so busy at the moment that's nigh impossible...." said Rick understandingly. "When does the trial?"
"Preliminary hearing in the morning," Karen shrugged. "As no request for an injuntion has been filed that will be the last opportunity for the defence to throw out evidence that is demonstrably suspect or prejudiced. After that, assuming the prosecution still has a case, the trial goes ahead the following day." This was procedure, not detail so Karen had no problem explaining it.
Rick made a woosh noise as he passed hi hand over the top of his head. Indicating that what was just said was over his head completely. He smiled. "so why are they not doing this trial on earth I mean its a big deal for the Romulans surely they would want total exposure?"
Karen shook her head, "If they wanted total exposure they would have extracted him and tired him themselves. Now that would have hit the headlines!. From their tone and their approach they believe the charges, so much so that they're willing to satisfy a Federation court. A trial on Earth would be a step too far - they can count a space station on the edges of explored space 'neutral' ground even if it is Starfleet controlled," she told him. Karen had a good understanding of the Romulan mindset and understood where they were cming from, in part, but there were intricacies she had never experienced. She also knew that they would let her, and only her oversee the trial, so earth was out of the question.
It was certainly a conundrum, and had the political machiavellian styling of a Romulan plot buried in its foundation. Rick couldn't see it though. But he never really had a head for such things. Instead he left it in the purview of smarter more capable men and women. Besides mostly his experience with Romulans had been good, he had only fought them once and he considered Isha friend. But since the war the Romulans had been pushing outward from there territory more and more. "We live in interesting times."
Karen took a sip from her glass, "I thank that's meant to be a curese to be in interesting times," she said, "but hey, we don't get to choose," she said with a sigh. Karen straightened her shoulders and spoke again, "If you're so keen on getting me to expand my horizons, promise me that as soon as I find an eligable chap, that you and Doctor Adams will do a double date with us. I'd like to know her better and for some reason I think she doesn't like me that much." Karen paused again. "No need to verify that or otherwise!" Karen smiled, "on the off chance that I get a date in the near future, I want your complicity here."
That was the first Rick had heard about that. He knew that Chelsea did not really know the commander on a personal level, but did on a professional one and as far as Rick knew that relationship was a good one. He grinned and gave a thumbs up "We will all go to dinner on a double date." He said confidently "And I will make my mission to get you one" he smiled again.
"You've set yourself up with a real challenge there, Rick," Karen laughed, thankful that he had passed over her lapse without comment; she should not have said that in the first place. "I'll linger and see," she suggested.
Rick leant forward in his chair, placed one elbow on the table, and rested his chin in the hand connected to said elbow. He looked at the commander enquiringly. "I happen to know a very good starfleet officer on board USS Haganon......what's your feelings on Ferengi?"
Karen raised her eyebrows. "I'm open, Rick, but Ferengi are an acquired taste. that might be a jump too soon," she continued with a smile.
He returned the smile and decided to give it one more shot for is ferengi friend, if it didn't work that was fair enough. "Come on, a Ferengi, Starfleet officer, that was raised by Klingons....thats got to be interesting right?"
"Unusual, for sure," she conceded. "Okay, I'll give him a drink or two," Karen continued, "just don't be tricked into promising anything, because I'll not."
Rick smiled and Proffered his glass in a toast. "To dates"
"To branching out," Karen agreed with a smile.
Off:
CAG Squadron Leader
Lieutenant Commander Richard Dunham
&
Comander Keren Villiers
Executive Officer
by Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Karen Villiers
Post Details
| Title | Black Sheep D | |
| Mission | Judgement | |
| Author(s) | Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Karen Villiers | |
| Posted | Sun Jan 23, 2011 @ 8:15pm | |
| Location | Promenade by the railings (Again) | |
| Timeline | SD35. 22:00 |
"Penny for your thoughts commander" asked Rick, as he came to stand by the railings next to the commander. He joined her there placing both hands on the cold metal bars and holding them tightly. He leaned slightly forward to look at the view, that he was sharing with the commander who he had not moved from her position since he had spotted her from two decks down.
Karen's lips creased as she glanced sideways at Dunham recalling the last time they had spoken, "We must stop meeting like this," she said with the beginnings of a smile, "people'll talk, and you'll not get rich touring the promenade asking strange women for moeny when they're looking pensive," she added.
"Its nothing I can share, Rick, on or off the record," that was the problem with legal cases, "but I can talk," she continued, thinking, just ask me the right questions in the right way if you want any answers.
Rick took a long and deep thoughtful breath. He thought that Commander Villiers the stations Executive Officer and JAG Office of must be feeling very alone and isolated right now, he didn't envy her for the job she was about to do involving the trail. But he wished he could help her in some small way, in any way. Perhaps he could be a friend? "I'm not sure what the Mrs would think about that either." said Rick with a smile and referring back to her earlier comment.
He shrugged, moving back to the conversation at hand. "I know you can't share commander." He smiled in a friendly manner, he looked over his shoulder to the nearest bar. "but hey....lets go share drink, and will figure out what we can talk about."
Karen pushed back from the rail and released her fingers from around it leaving her prints and the outlining sheen of moisture where her skin had edged the metal. "I can agree to a drink," she told him. "and there's a whole lot we can talk about ... like the weather, or should that be climate control?"
Dunham smiled at the joke as the two of them entered the Red Lion pub. "I think its climate control." said Rick philosophically as he leaned on the bar to order a drink "i will have a beer please" asked rick to the bar tender with a friendly smile, "and what ever the commander is having?"
"A pint of Black Sheep if you either have it, or can make it," Karen said, "If not, I'll take the same as him."
Dunham stood there totally and utterly gob smacked, mouth hanging open, and a slight gormless look on his face. He closed his mouth with the back of his hand, then shook himself. The commander drank black sheep! That's brilliant! "My Executive officer drinks black sheep....that is so cool." said Rick whilst taking a sip of his drink and talking into his glass.
Karen chuckled at his reaction, "I'd tell you I can pull a pint too, but you look as though you might have an aneurism," she said as she raised her glass, "college bar," she added and took a sip of the smooth dark liquid. "Shall we prop up the bar or find somewhere to sit?"
Rick was very impressed with the XO's credentials, he smiled and proffered his glass in a saluting toast to the commander. He then inclined his head in the direction of a table and some chairs. “Let’s have a sit down, I’m sure we have both been on our feet most of the day.” They made there way over to the table, and sat down. Rick placed his beer glass on a small circular beer matt. He watched the bubbles in his glass for a moment reminiscing a little. “Easier times back then wasn’t it commander, at college….at star fleet academy. The galaxy was just a little bit more well ordered back then.” He smiled. Rick had been born and raised on a starfleet starship, his whole life had been either on earth or on starships either as a civilian boy or as an officer.
"The good old days," Karen agreed with a tilt of her glass towards Dunham, "You know I didn't look at Starfleet until I got my internship with the JAG office when I was writing my Masters thesis. Its funny really, at university I was a prodigy, and a few years younger than everyone else and couldn't quite join in. Then when I went to the Academy, a degree and a Masters already in my bag I was older than most and still couldn't quite join in. Its a damned good thing I've never been a follower, Rick." Karen pasued and sipped her drink before wrapping her long fingers around the cold glass, "I think we make our own order, we shape it to fit and it isn't always Federation shaped."
Rick took a reflective sip of his pint and nodded in agreement with the commander. "True.....Though..." he said thoughtfully, "Starfleet has always been my order you know? Parents were officers, mum went on to be a Captain, I grew up on a starship, then it was the academy on earth, then back to starships." Rick laughed to himself. "You know I had no real concept of money until I came here."
"A sound grasp of commerce never did anyone any harm," Karen said, "and there'll always be people who want more, even if they don't really need it."
Rick nodded in agreement again. "Very true boss ,very true." Dunham realised he was being a little rude banging on about his up bringing, so he decided to ask the commander about hers. "So what about you commander, were did you grow up?"
"Me? All over the place. My dad was in the civillian diplomatic service and from time to time he was posted off-world, when he was we'd all pack up and join him. My mum was generally able to find a visiting lecturership at one or more of the Universities on the host world. They thought it was important that we stick together and gave me and my brother a taste of life off-world," she said.
Rick nodded in agreement again and smile empathetically. "Same here, my parents always thought it best to keep my and my sister together, though she was the oldest, and went to the academy at the first opportunity she got. What about you commander? were you the older or younger sibling?"
"Karl's two two years older," Karen said, "He got all the tact and I got all the brains, his words. Did you ever consider anything other than Starfleet?"
Dunham shook his head gently from side to side a thoughtful expression on his face. "No....., not really....its always been starfleet, you know? Never really thought of considering much else."
Karen nodded. Her glass was now half empty, "A bit like me and the law," she mused.
Rick smiled. "In a way, we are very lucky people to know what it is we want to do with our lives and our careers." he took another sip of his drink, he made a satisfied ahhhh noise, smacking his lips together at the taste of the refreshing pint. "But there is more to life than work, commander, tell me what do you do in your spare time...." he smiled. "If and when you get any." He said, knowing the commander had been very, very busy recently.
"Fell running," Karen told him, "I've got a couple of holodeck programmes that recreate the runs I've done back home. Its not quite the same, but out here its the bet I can do."
"Fell running....as in running up big hills and mountains...?" Rick smiled softly and shook his head gently from side to side. "That's it? We gotta get you out more commander"
As she smiled Karen nodded, "Got it in one. I'd rather do that than spend an hour in a gym, not that I've had a lot of time to indulge since Ii got here; if its not one thing its another," she said wanly. "Can I get you another?" she asked seeing they were both approaching the bottom of their glasses.
Rick nodded and smiled wryly "Yes please. May I have black ship?" he asked politely, he then finished off the rest of his current pint. Rick was hoping that this pleasant and friendly conversation was taking the commanders mind off her troubles involving the upcoming trial. Rick could bet that it was on her mind now probably twenty four seven, so in his own way he had tried to help.
"Sure," Karen said as she got to her feet. She ambled over to the bar giving him a few minutes to himself before she returned with two more pints of smooth dark liquid. She placed them on the table before sitting and draining the last half inch from her first glass. "Not bad," Karen said.
Dunham took a satisfying gulp of the newly presented ale. He nodded in his agreement. "Yep, not replicated here, I heard the Land Lord imports it directly from Earth." He smiled in appreciation to the beverage "Good Stuff" he said again after another sip of his drink. "So" said Rick conversationally "Fell Running aside what else do you do for fun around here?"
"I'll let you know if I ever get the time for any," Karen replied.
Rick scratch the stubble on his chin, that sounded awfully depressing to him, and all he wanted to do was give her a sympathetic hug. But being his superior officer he decided on some advise instead "Sounds like you need to make some you time commander, you know...maybe start a hobby you could do with other people?"
"You haven't branched out into counselling, have you?" Karen asked with exaggerated mock suspicion. "I guess it goes with the territory - in my job a bit of distance is sometimes necessary."
"But boss....all you do is your job. It's like ninety percent of your life. Are you telling me that you love your work so much you don't want to do anything else?" Rick scratched the stubble on his chin and leaned back in his chair.
"As the saying goes, someone's got to do it," Karen replied tracing her fingers through the moisture that condensed on the cold side of the glass. "I don't mind taking time out, as long as it doesn't mean that things fall by the wayside."
"And with things so busy at the moment that's nigh impossible...." said Rick understandingly. "When does the trial?"
"Preliminary hearing in the morning," Karen shrugged. "As no request for an injuntion has been filed that will be the last opportunity for the defence to throw out evidence that is demonstrably suspect or prejudiced. After that, assuming the prosecution still has a case, the trial goes ahead the following day." This was procedure, not detail so Karen had no problem explaining it.
Rick made a woosh noise as he passed hi hand over the top of his head. Indicating that what was just said was over his head completely. He smiled. "so why are they not doing this trial on earth I mean its a big deal for the Romulans surely they would want total exposure?"
Karen shook her head, "If they wanted total exposure they would have extracted him and tired him themselves. Now that would have hit the headlines!. From their tone and their approach they believe the charges, so much so that they're willing to satisfy a Federation court. A trial on Earth would be a step too far - they can count a space station on the edges of explored space 'neutral' ground even if it is Starfleet controlled," she told him. Karen had a good understanding of the Romulan mindset and understood where they were cming from, in part, but there were intricacies she had never experienced. She also knew that they would let her, and only her oversee the trial, so earth was out of the question.
It was certainly a conundrum, and had the political machiavellian styling of a Romulan plot buried in its foundation. Rick couldn't see it though. But he never really had a head for such things. Instead he left it in the purview of smarter more capable men and women. Besides mostly his experience with Romulans had been good, he had only fought them once and he considered Isha friend. But since the war the Romulans had been pushing outward from there territory more and more. "We live in interesting times."
Karen took a sip from her glass, "I thank that's meant to be a curese to be in interesting times," she said, "but hey, we don't get to choose," she said with a sigh. Karen straightened her shoulders and spoke again, "If you're so keen on getting me to expand my horizons, promise me that as soon as I find an eligable chap, that you and Doctor Adams will do a double date with us. I'd like to know her better and for some reason I think she doesn't like me that much." Karen paused again. "No need to verify that or otherwise!" Karen smiled, "on the off chance that I get a date in the near future, I want your complicity here."
That was the first Rick had heard about that. He knew that Chelsea did not really know the commander on a personal level, but did on a professional one and as far as Rick knew that relationship was a good one. He grinned and gave a thumbs up "We will all go to dinner on a double date." He said confidently "And I will make my mission to get you one" he smiled again.
"You've set yourself up with a real challenge there, Rick," Karen laughed, thankful that he had passed over her lapse without comment; she should not have said that in the first place. "I'll linger and see," she suggested.
Rick leant forward in his chair, placed one elbow on the table, and rested his chin in the hand connected to said elbow. He looked at the commander enquiringly. "I happen to know a very good starfleet officer on board USS Haganon......what's your feelings on Ferengi?"
Karen raised her eyebrows. "I'm open, Rick, but Ferengi are an acquired taste. that might be a jump too soon," she continued with a smile.
He returned the smile and decided to give it one more shot for is ferengi friend, if it didn't work that was fair enough. "Come on, a Ferengi, Starfleet officer, that was raised by Klingons....thats got to be interesting right?"
"Unusual, for sure," she conceded. "Okay, I'll give him a drink or two," Karen continued, "just don't be tricked into promising anything, because I'll not."
Rick smiled and Proffered his glass in a toast. "To dates"
"To branching out," Karen agreed with a smile.
Off:
CAG Squadron Leader
Lieutenant Commander Richard Dunham
&
Comander Keren Villiers
Executive Officer