JP - PNPC Zeya, LTjg Hiro Jones & Commander Karrod Niac - Adventures Await...

[+ Gila Sadar]

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((Crater 2678, Sector 913, The Pralio Ice Moons))

 

The woman, who'd once been Amy and was now Zeya, looked at her new and unlikely friend; Hiro Jones. 

 

Who'd have thought it? Not her. She'd harboured a long and well tended grudge against the man for so many years. She knew that it was unfounded, however she'd never let that get in the way of a good old fashioned vendetta. 

 

Now, she watched as he skillfully negotiated with a pair of angry Nausicaan brothers. 

 

After they'd encountered each other at the casino, she'd convinced him to come along on a cargo run with her. He'd refused, at first, as she expected he would. 

 

Then, she told him they'd be travelling through the ice moons of sector 913. Restricted Federation territory. Only the esteemed scientists of the Daystrom Institute were permitted access. And her. Perks of working cargo, you often got access to areas of space that no one, not even a Starfleet officer could lay eyes on. 

 

Even scientists needed items that only she and her team could provide. She had garnered a reputation for being a tough, yet fair, businesswoman that had crafted a team of experts in obtaining just about anything from just about anywhere. 

 

That included the protected moons of ice that Hiro couldn’t resist. 

 

She wasn't really sure why she wanted him to come along. Zeya had a good crew, she enjoyed her life except … There was something about Hiro that felt like a puzzle to her. A puzzle that somehow she knew she had the answer too. 

 

Wasn’t that how it always started? The life changing moments. 

 

Here she was, standing next to him inside an ice canyon, dressed only in specially adapted suits for the extreme cold of the ice moons, a rebreather strapped across their faces. Behind her were several cargo boxes, filled with the rare Boravian toadworm, and two Federation scientists.

 

In front of herself and Hiro, were the two Nausicaans, who both bore laser rifles, pointed directly at them. They had followed them here, using the path that her team had created.

 

Only her ship, The SS Monarch and its experienced crew had been able to bore into the depths of the ice moon. With the ongoing threat of war in the region, the scientists did not want another Starfleet vessel coming into the Alpha Isles. 

 

This moon was about to come apart and break into smaller pieces and these toadworms; rare and near extinct, would almost certainly be destroyed. The Nausicaans wanted the toadworms so that they could sell them to the Orion Syndicate, who wanted them for their illicit secretions.  

 

Jones: ::muttering to Zeya:: Can you trust me?

 

 

Zeya: :: nods slowly :: Do I have a choice?

 

Hiro took a slow, careful step toward the Nausicaans, never breaking eye contact with the one aiming the rifle at him. His arms still raised, he drew the most powerful tool he knew: connection.

 

Jones: This isn’t why you came. You are on a collection mission, right? You want to bring back the worms, not murder us. I think there, we’re aligned.

 

Nausicaan 1: Stop talking unless you are sharing the access codes to the holding container.

 

Jones: But that wouldn’t give you as much glory as possible. If we can talk, I believe we can come to an even better arrangement than us simply not dying.

 

The hulking figure took a moment to process this intentionally-confusing sentence.

 

Jones: What would you say to a better option?

 

When the big guy didn’t respond verbally, but shifted his stance slightly, the business end of his weapon dipping minutely, Hiro took another careful step.

 

Jones: ::slowly:: I propose a new course of action. I’m a doctor. I can synthesize the compound these worms secrete, but I need two things to do that. ::holding up one finger:: I need to be alive and free, ::holding up a second:: I need the worms.

 

The rifle came back up with a snap.

 

Nausicaan 1: Your proposition is for NOTHING!

 

Jones: Hardly! My proposition was for you two to walk away. Nobody gets hurt.

 

As the two brutes chuckled at the audacity of this puny Human’s boast, Hiro’s hand made a twitching movement. He just hoped Zeya had been following his line of thought rather than the line of conversation.

 

When the rifle went off, it was already redirected well above Hiro’s head. Before the Nausicaan could get a second shot off, the butt of the gun had become intimate with the bridge of his nose.

 

Zeya had indeed noticed Hiro’s tip off, and she sprung into action. She threw her whole body against the other Nausicaan, and knocked him off balance. Both of her hands grasped at his shoulders and she hoisted herself upwards and spun around his body, her legs threw themselves around his neck and she began to squeeze tightly. 

 

Jones: I’m gonna get in a lot of trouble for this.

 

Zeya: You have to admit it’s fun!

 

(( Four weeks later - Bridge - SS Monarch - In orbit of Ferenginar))

 

The USS Ronin on the viewscreen. Hiro, seated by her side on the bridge of the SS Monarch. Zeya looked at him, a mischievous glint in her eye. 

 

Hiro just stared at her. This woman had sucker punched him just a couple weeks previously. Sure, he’d earned it, but still! To hear what she was now proposing was even less expected than her knuckles had been.

 

Jones: Hang on. You’re saying you want me to go with you?

 

Zeya: Haven’t we had fun? :: indicates the crew :: You’ve made friends here, seen what we’re all about. We may not be Starfleet material but that doesn’t mean we gave up on what it meant :: winks :: we just make it look better. 

 

Jones: I can’t just leave the Ronin though! My crew! My friends! What about my patients? I have responsibilities.

 

Zeya: The way I see it, that crew :: nods to the viewscreen :: have hundreds of people all looking out for each other. That’s wonderful. Part of the dream, isn’t it? Something tells me, you want a new dream, Hiro? We need you. Do they?

 

He took a deep breath, held it for a five count, then slowly let it out, centering himself. Kawarda had taught him this technique what felt like eons ago. It distanced his emotions without cutting them off, and Hiro had come to rely on the breath whenever big decisions were before him. And this one was a doozie.

 

Jones: I need some time to think.

 

Zeya: We leave in 12 hours. We won't come back to Fed space for another year or two. 

 

(( Captain’s Ready Room, Deck 3, USS Ronin ))

 

Jones: So that’s where I’m at, sir.

 

Karrod leaned back heavily at his desk, his eyes going from the padd in his hands to the man who’d handed it to him.  

 

Niac: I understand your reasoning, Mr. Jones, but I’ll admit to being a bit disappointed.  I thought you were settling in well here on the Ronin.  

 

Jones: I understand, sir, and I can’t fully express how sorry I am. I appreciate the opportunities you’ve given me immensely, but …

 

Karrod held up a hand to forestall the response.  

 

Niac: I wasn’t asking for a justification…you’re the only person who can judge what’s best for you…but I do want to make certain you’ve thought things through before taking this step.  It’s my duty as your commanding officer but, more than that, it’s my responsibility as someone who considered this same step more than once myself.  Are you certain this is what you really want?  

 

Jones: I have a chance to directly atone for so much that’s haunted me for so long. I can’t pass that up.

 

Karrod pursed his lips and put the padd down on his desk.  

 

Niac: A long time ago a friend told me something that’s always stuck with me…in fact, it’s one of the reasons I’m still wearing this uniform.  “The only Zen you find on the mountaintop is the Zen that you bring with you.”  Try to remember that, if you want forgiveness or atonement, the only person who can really give it to you is you.  

 

Hiro studied the bearded Trill. As inappropriate as the timing was, he couldn’t help noticing just how Tribble-like that beard was.

 

Jones: Thank you for understanding, Captain. And thank you for everything.

 

Hiro stood, now steady once again on his legs, saluted the CO, and extended a hand to shake. There wasn’t much else to say.

 

With nothing else to do Karrod tapped ‘approved’ on the padd and handed it back to Lt. Jg. Jones for the final time.  He stood and took the offered hand.  

 

Jones: Take care of yourself and the crew. You all mean more to me than you know.

 

Niac: And you, Mr. Jones.  I hope you find what you’re looking for…and when you do, I expect you back here with a few good stories to tell.  Fair winds and calm seas, Hiro.  

 

With a final nod, Hiro left, no longer a Starfleet officer. Ten minutes later, he found himself in transporter room 5, holding the very same duffle bag he’d held when he boarded the ship.

 

Jones: =/\= Jones to Zeya =/\=

 

Zeya:  =/\= Go for Zeya =/\=

 

Jones: =/\= I sure hope you were serious, because I’ve just made some really tough decisions. =/\=

 

Zeya: =/\= I knew you were a fool =/\=

 

Jones: =/\= That’s right. I’m ready to beam over now. =/\=

 

Zeya: =/\= Welcome to the family, Hiro =/\=

 

Hiro nodded to the technician. A shimmer of light, a slight tingle, and Hiro Jones was no longer aboard the USS Ronin.

Godspeed @Hiro Jones ❤️ And know that you left this fleet brighter and kinder than you found it.