Subject: Grail - The Great Brightness - Beware of Jealous Humans

<<Stardate: 47307.30- 08:10>>

<<Deck 8>>

François DeMontigny wasn't in a good mood. He had hardly slept in

the last 48 hours, Brinn had gone balistic and left a officer inferior

to François in charge of the bridge and had convoked him and Fionn to

her office for no apparent reason. The only reason he was obeying was

because he wanted to give her a piece of his mind. But what bothered him

the most was what happened in the Captain's ready room. He had almost

slept with Brinn. He still shuddered at the thought. Not that she wasn't

attractive or anything, but she was the marine 'queen'. He still didn't

know what had gotten into him when he had kissed her. She seemed to

easily make François lose his cool. And vice-versa. No, François was

definately not in a good mood.

As he walked down the hall toward Brinn's office, a hand suddenly

grabbed his collar and dragged him into a nearby room, the doors closing

behind them. Disengaging himself, François turned to face his agressor.

Before him stood a broad-shouldered young security ensign. His face

looked familiar, but as always François couldn't quite remember the

name. One thing was for sure though, he wasn't in a good mood either.

"This better be good, ensign... Donovan, right? Or was it Dubchek?"

he asked.

The ensign's mood seemed to worsen.

"It's Dimitri," he said, "and I want to talk to you about Kwan."

Kwan? The security ensign that guarded François while he was in the

brig? During the General Quarters, DeMontigny had sneaked into her

quarters twice to... pass the time. Was Dimitri jealous?

"What about her?" François retorted, annoyed at the ensign's

attitude.

"She is my girlfriend. I don't want to see you near her again."

François rolled his eyes. Another jealous boyfriend. He had dealt

with too many in his life. It was the downside of being irresistable.

But François wasn't in the mood to be witty or nice.

"Kwan is her own woman," he said, then quickly added, "and trust me,

mon ami, a woman she is. Besides, I don't see what your problem is, I

only slept with her twice..."

Dimitri swung, but François was ready and ducked under the blow. He

quickly retaliated with an uppercut, sending the security ensign back a

few steps.

"We don't have to do this, you know. You can still walk away."

François warned, but he knew he wouldn't back of until one of them was

on the floor.

Piotr's only answer was his fist flying toward François' head.

DeMontigny dodged it, but didn't see the other coming, hitting him

squarely in the jaw.

François rolled under the blow, but was quickly back on his feet. As

Dimitri rushed to attack him again, François put his leg up, kicking him

in the gut. While he bent over in pain, DeMontigny raised his fists over

his head together and brought them down on his back, sending him to the

ground.

But the security ensign quickly recuperated and sweeped his leg,

tripping François. Dimitri then jumped on the helmsman, punching him in

the stomach and in the face, breaking DeMontigny's nose.

François pushed Dimitri off him and turned to face his adversary,

still on all fours. Piotr was the first to move jumping at DeMontigny

again, but the helmsman expected it and dodged the punch while bringing

his elbow up to his face, crushing his nose. Dimitri returned to the

floor. Panting, François grabbed him by the hair and stood him up, only

to punch him in the face with his other hand before kneeing him in the

stomach.

He was going to punch him a thrid time, but Dimitri parried the blow

and brought his leg up, kicking François in the side. He followed up

with a couple of punches, before François got out of the way.

This had to end. Summoning up the last of his strength, François put

his two fists together and brought them up quickly, hitting Dimitri

squarely in the face. DeMontigny quickly followed by punching him twice

more in the face and once in the gut. That was more than Dimitri could

take and he fell to the floor, unable to get up again. He was still

councious, but barely.

François leaned against a wall and slowly let himself drop to the

floor. He wasn't in much better shape than his opponent. His nose was

bleeding and probably broken, he had pains in his side, maybe a cracked

rib, his knuckles were also bleeding from connecting with Dimitri's face

and he was utterly exhausted.

"Look Donovan," he said, still gasping for air, "I'll make a deal

with you. I won't visit Kwan anymore, and you'll stop treating her as

property. Have a talk with her. A real heart-to-heart. Tell her how you

feel. About her and about her and me. Kwan is an intelligent woman,

she'll understand."

If Dimitri understood, he didn't give any outward sign. François then

remebered he had business elsewhere. Struggling to get up, he slowly

headed for the door. He stopped a moment to look at Dimitri's still

form. His chest was heaving and his eyes were open, but he didn't

otherwise move. He didn't need to, there was nothign left to say or do

between them. François left.

He headed down the hall and quickly came to the XO's office door.

With a bloody finger, he pressed the chime.

"COME!" came Brinn's angry (was there any other?) voice.

The doors swooshed open and François stepped in. Fionn hadn't arrived

yet and Brinn was standing behind her desk. Her angered expression

turned to shock when she saw him enter, all bloodied and beaten.

"Sorry I'm late..." François couldn't help saying despite his state.

His usual smug grin forming on his face.