ops Lt. Sheila Bailey - Workplace Accidents, Grilling the Locals, Bad Girl Attitudes, Oh my!

[Sal Taybrim]

I really love it when players get to explore a different side of their character, or use a persona to show character.  Sheila does a superb job in playing a rogue to show who her character really is!  ❤️

 

((Miranda VII Station - Promenade))

 

With that Alora made her way to the entrance of the hallway, to where it branched out into the greater thoroughfare of the station, while at the same time making sure to stay sequestered in the shadows along the way. Sheila followed, her head bent almost naturally, as she worked to make sure she was properly putting one crutch and one foot in front of the other. While she walked she pondered several questions.

 

Mostly she was wondering what their game plan was going to be. It was going to be hard to know what to say or how to even act if she didn’t have at least the smallest sense of what they were planning. Even with that said it was going to be hard, too, to predict everything before going in. Each individual was unique in their words, actions and reaction. Sheila only hoped that she would be able to find an in and casually mention how the residents were being treated. That sort of topic might just get this woman to start talking. Though there was the potential for that particular topic to backfire horiably. She may be unwilling to talk or get angry and violent instead. Either way they would have to find out to be sure. 

 

In a different sense, Sheila wasn’t at all nervous. This wasn’t her first time on this particular station. No, once she had been here for several moments at least, Sheila actually felt quite comfortable, confident even. Though that could have just been due to the conditioning of her childhood coming out to play. She was comfortable with such a harsh, controlling environment, it was predictable in a sense, as at one point in time it had been an environment that felt safe, like home. On the other hand, the young Elaysian woman had to shake herself from that particular set of programming. Now she was in a safe environment, for the most part, and wouldn’t be purposefully put in harm's way with ill intent. Notwithstanding, Sheila did feel that she could use that childhood sense of control and conditioning to her advantage. And if it gave her a sense of confidence, which she had not previously felt before on the Rahuba, then she might as well hone that to get the information they needed. Take on a bit of her uncle and bada-bing they would be golden. 

 

Bailey: Do we know what we are even going to ask this woman? I mean we can’t just walk up to her and tell her who we are. We got some sort of cover story we can use?

 

Yael:  We’re new on the station?  Looking for opportunity, or jobs?  But… disgruntled with current management.

 

DeVeau: Yes, pretty much.  Looking for employment.  Our last employers disappeared. 

 

That seemed rather reasonable and would work well with her angle, to go in and mention how residents were being treated. The only modification needed would be to likely mention how the employed population was being treated instead. Weave it into their cover story. And as a doctor Sheila could unquestionably discuss workplace mistreatment with ease. It might just get the woman talking. 

 

Bailey: I mean, we have to be careful with what sort of information we share. It goes back to what I was saying earlier. Our words can be used to gain their trust and one wrong word or phrase can leave us vulnerable.

 

DeVeau:  I agree. Which is why we’ll need to be diplomatic.

 

Oh boy, Sheila was going to be able to ham up her performance with proficiency, now that she knew a bit more of their angle. And If Sheila had taken the intent correctly, Alora’s wink meant she thought the same. At least the superior officer had confidence in their skills. 

 

Bailey: I guess the best place to start would be by asking what sort of information you believe this woman can give us?

 

Yael:  We can at least learn how the non-Human population is being treated.  If she’s receptive or disgruntled, we can risk exposing our non-Human origins… it could create an instant understanding between us, considering the current climate.  She’ll assume we’re also targeted and laying low.

 

DeVeau:  Most likely.

 

Learning about how the non-human population was being treated worked skillfully with her intended direction. Sheila could easily invent details of a fake past and weave it into her intended topic of conversation. If she was crafty enough then she would be able to get the woman to start talking about what she wanted. Get her to spout the information they were looking for. Sheila would only need to choose her words carefully and to insert herself at the necessary time, in order to properly avoid any sort of nasty altercation. 

 

DeVeau: But we’re not just looking for information. We’re looking to see if we can gauge whether or not anyone is willing to fight and wrestle control away from Terra Prime.

 

If anyone was willing, such willingness would come out in their body language. As the old saying went, “don’t underestimate the importance of body language!” Sheila certainly felt that she was a semi-pro at reading and analysing body language; A skill that was necessary to her profession as a doctor. In fact it made her quite giddy, internally, to get to employ such a skill out in the wild. 

 

Yael:  Is that it…?

 

At last Sheila decided to look up at their surroundings. Evidently, they had come to a row of businesses. A little ways down, clear as day, was one with a faded sign reading “Pour Decisions.” Their destination. With conviction Sheila was starting to believe that she was having a day of “what would Sheila not do.” She was not one to normally enter a bar of her own free will. Nor was she one to pretend to be someone she was not. But it seemed there was a first time for everything. 

 

DeVeau: Looks like it.

 

Bailey: Seems like it’s now or never. No turning back.

 

With confidence and control coursing through her veins, Sheila, Alora and Ashley close behind, walked towards the entrance of the bar, stopping just before going in. The place was woebegone; like a saloon out of the ancient west. Her uncle, sure as shootin’, would have been enamored with the place. Likely spending all day drinking at the establishment if he could. But that was not the point. She wasn’t here to drag him out. They were here to go in a delegate and to not start a bar fight if at all possible. Before she could make headway on going in Ashley beat both her and Alora to it. Regrettably at that exact moment someone exited, shattering the swinging doors. In turn the same set of doors oscillated back and forth swinging into Ashley crushing his arm and sending him toppling backwards onto the grimy floor. 

 

DeVeau: Ash!

 

Bailey: You alright? 

 

Sheila figured, what with Alora going over to assist Ashley up off the floor, that she was good to hang back. Though the moment she figured she ought to go over and assist, to make sure there were no broken bones, asstonishment overtook her. A large beefy man had come flying out of the bar, landing on the floor in an undignified smashed heep. And emanating from inside was a slew of what she could only guess were curse words in an unspecified forien language; one that she couldn’t recognize. Though that was of little consequence at present. 

 

Coming out after the smashed man was a woman, medium height and advantageously built. This woman was dressed in a plain brown, nondescript garment. Her only distinguishing features were the clearly Cardasian and Bajoran ridges adorning her face and neck. Sheila watched her closely, as if trying to analyze her every minute movements, as she gazed first at the smashed man and then at Ashley. Though after a moment the woman turned away, leaving Ashely to go after her and Alora to look at Sheila in what she could only guess was bemusement.  Sheila could only go in after Alora and see what was going on. 

 

Once inside Sheila could see the woman holding a seat near the end of the bar. Ashley didn’t even stop, merely walked over and took the open seat next to her. Alora on the other hand motioned to the other end of the bar, alternatively wanting to watch from a distance before interfering. When Sheila and Alora took their seats at the other end the Elaysian watched as the superior officer and counselor met eyes, Alora nodding. Sheila however chose to remain silent, for the time being, in order to learn from the provided body language. It was going to tell them something that was going to be hard to get with words alone. 

 

Yael:  After an introduction like that, I think you owe me a drink.

 

Woefully, Sheila was at an angle where tiny features were hard to make out. Nonetheless she caught the way the woman’s eyes, presumably Janil’s, waltzed over to look sidelong at Yael. They rolled away out of her frame of vision. Even so, she saw the attitude behind the gesture. Janil likely didn’t care at all for the well-being of the two participants involved in the altercation out front. If she did, then she wanted to play hard to get by acting as if she was being passive aggressive about it all. At least Sheila assumed as much. Janil then picked up the glass sitting in front of her, half empty of some unique, bright green substance. 

 

Yael:  ::glancing at her brightly colored drink::  One of… whatever the Hell that is.

 

What was a stunner to Sheila though was the way that Yael went and ordered the same thing as Janil. That certainly did not seem like a truly Ashley thing to do. Though it worked for the purposes of the mission. Even so the bartender, a tall, thin human, fulfilled the request with ease, mixing together several liquids in order to reach the desired green color. Undoubtedly not something she herself would have ordered to drink. She was more of a whiskey or cocktail girl, when she was in the rare mood to drink. Guess each to their own which was proven when the bartender made his way over to her and Alora and the older woman ordered bloodwine. 

 

Bailey: Glass of whiskey please, on the rocks. 

 

When the bartender placed the drink in front of her, more ice than whiskey, Sheila picked it up, swirling it around, playing with it’s contents, as she turned back to watch Ashley and Janil, casually leaning her back against the bar. 

 

Yael:  Do people here still give out their names?  Isn’t that against Syndicate regulations?  Culpable deniability and all.

 

It definitely appeared that Ashley wasn’t getting the message that Janil was hugely disinterested. Despite that Yael continued talking, going so far as to laugh, hopefully to give off a lighthearted atmosphere. Janil on the other hand still continued to remain silent. This was going well. At least no one had pulled any more stunts. They still had an opportunity to successfully talk to the woman. And Sheila was positively dripping with exhilaration at being able to talk to the woman herself; put on her bad girl attitude and get down on her level. 

 

Yael:  It’s Clark.  Clark Kent.

 

Sheila however quickly formed her face into a stoic expression as not to give her brewing exhilaration away. Showing any form of emotion could play straight in Janil’s hand and that was not what they wanted. She wasn’t even phased by the cover name Yael had used. It did the job well. Generic or non-unique names tended to do well for that purpose. Even then she resumed watching Ashley interact with the woman; the way she finished off her drink and then with a nod, as if at a silent auction, indicated that she wanted another drink. The bartender obliged. 

 

Yael:  My friends and I are looking for work.  Came a long way on Miranda's reputation... just to be disappointed, I guess.  Has it always been this *dismal* here?

 

Janil:  Have you always been this annoying?

 

Sheila had a sneaking suspicion that the woman would eventually crack under the pressure of having to constantly listen to Ashley talk. Most people did tend to speak up sooner or later when it came to that sort of constraint chatter. It was likewise no surprise to Sheila that the woman and a fleck of snark in her voice. A bad girl attitude if there ever was one. She certainly liked that, could get behind that, use that to their advantage. What did catch Sheila off guard slightly was when Janil turned her gaze towards her and Alora. 

 

Janil: If you think you can take me three to one, you’re sorely mistaken.

 

Alora’s lips thinned in a tight line, while Sheila cocked a half smile. The situation could go south at any moment, though she certainly hoped it didn’t, she was rather starting to enjoy herself. 

 

Janil: What are you going to do?  ::She was clearly talkin to Bailey.::  Hit me with a crutch?

 

Sheila got up off her bar stool at that, leaving her drink behind, and walked closer, radiating confidence and a touch of uncouthness. 

 

Bailey: ::With a touch of sweet snark in her own voice:: I certainly hope it doesn't come to that, sweetheart. If it does though, I might just have to. I left my attack dog at home. 

 

Yael: Response 

 

Janil snorted as if appreciating her humor, chasing the laughter down with the rest of her second glass of green stuff before bashing the glass upon the bar top. 

 

Janil: Oh yeah?  So you’re just here to play nice.

 

Now that Sheila had gotten closer to Ashley and Janil, she could no longer see Alora’s reactions to the conversation at hand. Nonetheless she figured the other woman was either anxious or nervous about the direction it was going. 

 

Bailey: If we all play nice then no one has to get hurt lovely. 

 

Yael: Response 

 

Janil: Spit it out or get out of my face.

 

Bailey: I say. And you’d think one or two drinks would loosen you up a bit. We only want to talk as I’m sure my friend Clark has made clear. But if you insist you wouldn’t happen to know anything about the job market on Miranda? 

 

DeVeau/Yael: Response 

 

Janil: Response 

 

Bailey: Oh I’m sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Sara Sharpe. ::Sheila then held out a hand for Janil to shake:: 

 

DeVeau/Yael: Response 

 

Janil: Response

 

Bailey: I’m sure Clark mentioned how we are looking for jobs. Though I’m certainly looking for better working conditions. You see I got injured while operating machinery on the last one. Employer didn’t take too kindly to that. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about the employer, employee relation on the station would you? Perhaps how they treat those that are undesirable? 

 

Sheila was banking on the possibility that Janil would come around to liking her. Mostly for her attitude alone, for being on par with her own. Or in the way that she was not taking no for an answer. Or the signal she sent by leaning her crutches up against the bar between Janil and herself. Or even in the way she casually leaned her back against the bar; though secretly it was a way to support herself and prevent the highly realistic possibility of falling over. Overall she was radiating as much bad girl energy as possible in order to try and meet Janil on the same wavelength and create a connection. 

 

DeVeau/Yael: Response 

 

Janil: Response

 

Lieutenant Sheila Bailey

Medical Officer

Starbase 118 Ops

M239512BG0

 

"I don't want to feel like I have to change myself or my image." - Florence Pugh