[CWO Vincent Jones, Old Wounds, New Friends]

((Rear Compartment, Runabout 'Rick Husband'))

::To be there, yet almost completely invisible, was something that Vincent

often tried accomplishing. Sometimes, usually on account of stillness, or

rank, perhaps, it would work. Other times, his size simply got the best of

the situation, and people would 'see' him in the plain sight where he stood.

Now, however, was one of the former moments, and for a time, as the runabout

filled with officers, he seemed nearly invisible to them all.::

::It wasn't something he minded either; being able to stand in the back of

the rear compartment and simply watch the tired officers as they moved into

the ship and sat was not only something that killed time for him, but it

kept his mind busy as well. One by one he counted off the senior staff;

there was the Chief of Security, the Chief Engineer, extra security

officers, and the Ferengi diplomat that couldn't really fire a phaser.

Beside him was a small dragon, with its tongue sticking slightly out. Then

came the others, in collars of all colors, all seemingly preoccupied with

things around them.::

::That left him to a bubble of relative silence where he could still hear

the soft clicking as he adjusted the rifle tucked up against him and the

side arms in the holsters on either side of his body. For him, peace always

came first. Kali had instilled the sanctity of life on all she'd led when

she was in the Corps, but Vince knew that such outlooks didn't always mean

the firepower wouldn't be needed. He'd be there to back Kali up in anything

she did, but in the end, he'd never be caught like he had been on Lavon.::

((Flashback, Lavon Palace, Stardate 238606.26))

::Following the fireteam leader, a small statured Asian woman who held an

aire of command and confidence about her without ever saying a word, Vince

let his eyes fall on the form of the First Officers up ahead. A million

thoughts raced through the mind of the young, and fairly fresh, Marine, the

least of which was not the seething annoyance at the man's recent comments

about those in the green collars. It was no secret that Andrus Jaxx hated

the Marines with a fiery passion, but it was kind of a surprise that Kali

took the comments and said nothing more.::

::It was one thing that he planned on taking up with her when they returned

to the Resolution. Her, and the Marine CO, a man who could at least stand up

for the job they were doing.::

::Still, even though he'd just met her a day ago, Vincent found himself

worried that he was doing the wrong thing. The path this woman had chosen

was a strange one, but something about it, and her, seemed to just be right.

It was like his anger and seething hit a wall that absorbed it and stole it

from him. The emotions never had a chance to boil over because of it.::

::Suddenly, the group stopped. He had to catch himself quickly before he ran

right into the woman he had to look down to look at.::

Jaxx: He is here. ::nodding toward the Main Chamber:: extreme caution,

Lieutenant ::pausing for a moment:: set phasers to kill.

Nicholotti: He, who sir? ::Kali was lost on this point. She looked around

the narrow hall, but saw nothing unusual.::

Jaxx: I am not sure exactly what, but we are being watched.

::Without hesitation, the woman turned and orders were issued. Vincent

raised his eyebrow towards the First Officer, but something in the way he

stood, and in the tone of his voice, told the tale of honesty and the deadly

truth none of them realized. Turning around slowly and training his weapon

as he went, he was far too late to do anything about the door that suddenly

slammed down between them and both Kali and Jaxx.::

Jones: Dammit!

::Having run to the metallic slab that kept him and one other Marine

separated from the officers, he slammed his fist on it and watched through a

small window as a massive Hirogen hunter faded into existence just in front

of Kali and Jaxx. A frantic look came over him, though no one would see it

to share the moment. Unable to move the slab with his bulk alone, the Marine

searched quickly for anything that would allow him to pry the door open.::

::The event lasted moments, and the door eventually opened on its own, but

by the time the team came back together, it was already too late. Glancing

forward as he ran into the room, Vincent looked on as the First Officer

picked up the fireteam leader and moved towards the closest exit, where the

transporters would be able to find her. Glancing sideways, he noted another

casualty, a teammate, but the trail of crimson that fell, leaving a path

where Jaxx had been to where he was, drew Vincent's attention as a icy chill

ran down his spine.::

((End Flashback))

::Subconsciously, Vince had looked towards the [...]pit, to where that woman

was now. Vowing to keep her in that state, alive and well, even if it were

for the arms of another, he found himself gripping the rifle just a bit

tighter as a few more people entered the craft.::

::Back to watching, rather than re-living painful memories of the past, he

noticed the medical officer from earlier join the rest of them in the

somewhat packed rear compartment. He didn't know the man, having just met

him, but something seemed to be written on his face and it didn't look

entirely like sun and roses. And whatever it was drew Vincent to him as he

started to move forward.::

Jones: The rough day's just beginning, unfortunately.

Skyfire: Yep...I know. May I join you?

::With a subtle nod of his head, he offered the new medical officer a place

next to him on the wall, as far removed as was possible from the crowd.::

Jones: They call me Jonesy, you can too. I'm not an officer, just an ear, if

you needed it.

Skyfire: I'll keep it in mind in the event I need it...tell me, who is the

counselor on our posting? I am afraid I wasn't given much chance to read up

on the assignment before it was handed to me...but I should schedule an

appointment when we get back.

::An ear, and a shield, and perhaps the interference that ran between

darkness and light, somewhere in places no one actually knew, keeping others

from knowing the truth. For the briefest moment, he missed his place on

Starbase 118, the chair he leaned back in, and the console where his boots

were often found. But they would be home soon enough. They would be home and

perhaps things would get back to normal.::

::As soon as he thought it, he scratched the idea. No, normal was far too

chaotic. He really could do with at least a week without someone trying to

blow up the station, eat his soul, kill his captain, or steal anyone from

his home. After all, those things made it a far less desirable place to

live.::

::But as long as Kali was there, and he served his fellow officers as he

could, then maybe chaos was survivable.::

TAG/TBC

--

CWO 1st Class Vincent 'Jonesy' Jones

Lead NCO, 292nd 'Eagle Eye' 118th Counter Intel Division

Starbase 118 / USS Victory

As simmed by Captain Kalianna Nicholotti

[Lt Brek - Alice]

Good one Mr. Brek

[Graduating Class of 238904.20]

Congratulations.