<< Stardate 47307.16-15:15>>

USS Grail-Brig

Turning away from the prisoner and walking behind Castle's desk, Lt(jg) Ryes opened one of the side drawers and withdrew the small phaser that she had placed there when she had assumed the watch earlier that day. Wishing to get the prisoner to sickbay as smoothly as she could, Ryes went through her mental list of Beta shift personnel deciding who would be the most qualified to assist her in this task. Deciding that she wanted a strong deterrent and a level headed officer, the Bajoran quickly decided on Ensign Norden the Bolian in her shift.

=^=Ryes to Norden =^=

=^= Norden here. =^=

As Norden's deep bass voice rumbled up to her ears, a mental smile formed as she remembered their initial meeting with the Bolian. It had taken the Beta Shift a week before they all understood what Ensign "Rock" Norden had been saying to them when he had first checked aboard and even now, two months later it was still sometimes hard to follow his conversations with the rest of the security officers. Realizing that fact the Ensign had began using short sentences when speaking and even then, he used the minimum amount of words to convey his thoughts to whomever he was speaking with.

=^= Hate to disturb your inventorying Ensign, but I need you in the brig as soon as possible for assistance in escorting the prisoner to sickbay. Ryes out. =^=

Glancing back across the room at the prisoner, she could tell the man was confused at her summoning an escort, but that fact was fine with her. To a small degree she could sympathize with what he was going through, but that didn't change the fact that he had broken Starfleet's law and if it wasn't for the situation currently at hand, Ryes knew that he would have already been tried and sentenced for his deeds, but until that time, he was their responsibility and she was not taking any chances that he may get loose a second time. With Ensign Norden and the containment field she planned on using with him, she had a better chance of becoming the next Kai than he had of getting away from her.

Jarel's half smile began disappearing the moment the Bajoran security officer reached into a desk drawer and slid the small palm phaser into the holster at her hip. It disappeared entirely as she spoke into her badge summoning an Ensign Norden to assist in the "escorting" of him to sickbay. When the summoned individual answered her call, Jarel was surprised by the roughness of its response. The voice was low and rough and it had all the harmonics of two boulders colliding into each other and Jarel could only wonder as to what the speaker looked like.

Watching her to see what other measures she would take in this matter, Jarel saw the look on her face as she saw his confusion and tried his best to assume the blank face he had with Lt Castle, who had spoken with him earlier.

Feeling like an ass for thinking that the telling of one sad tale would instantly get him out of his predicament, Jarel began to pace the cell to dissipate the frustration that was beginning to build. The fact that he was also slightly claustrophobic did not help matters either.

Thinking about his position in the ship in comparison to Science Lab 14 where Angeline was kept, Jarel realized that sickbay and the lab were both on the same level. If he played his cards right and waited until the perfect moment presented itself...Who was he kidding. He would have two security guards watching over his every move and the moment he even looked suspicious, they would not hesitate to drop him were he stood.

His plan had never been perfect when he had tried to get Angeline the first time, but it had been his best one and now with them being whisked away to the Beta Quad by a member of the Q, he knew that the chances for escaping were slipping rapidly and if he didn't act and act soon, he would never get her back. Soon they would come for him to hold a special trial for his deeds and already he could see the outcome of that mockery of "real" justice. He would stand in front of some graying Captain who had long ago traded his compassion for the chair that he passed judgment from and in the end they would send him off with the first 'fleet ship they encountered. Then while he is carrying out his "penance" on some distant penal mine in the middle of nowhere for the rest of his life, Starfleet would be dissecting his wife so that they could gain insight on whatever it is that they find so fascinating about her. After it was all over, they would congratulate each other and then look for the next victim, but this time making sure that it had no strings attached to it as this one had.

Tired of the emotional roller coaster he was on, he was getting ready to speak as the door opened up and in strode the largest Bolian Jarel had ever seen. Jarel's former XO had been a Bolian, but he was nothing like the one who entered the brig. Topping seven-foot with his sky blue skin and a slightly raised dermal ridge that divided his features down the center of his head and neck, the Bolian dwarfed the six-foot Bajoran security officer he had moved to stand beside. His uniform was stretched taunt across his massive chest and the phaser at his waist seemed too small for the big man to use. *As if he even

needs the phaser *, Jarel thought ruefully. If the Lt thought that this many precautionary measures were necessary to contain him, then someone was really overestimating his abilities. He doubted he could take the female Bajoran in an honest fight and knew without a doubt he could not physically overpower the massive Bolian in front of him or even manage to make him break a sweat.

"This really isn't necessary Lt., I assure you that I have been properly humbled by the fine security on this ship once before and I have no desire to repeat the experience again. I've heard that heavy stun has that effect on nine out of ten convicts fleetwide. Tell you what, you and I can go to the sickbay to get these killer hands of mine checked out and the good Ensign can man the brig while we are gone. What do you think?"

He tried to keep his voice light even though his hand was aching terribly and the fingers were already beginning to swell, but by the firm set of her jaw as she approached the cell, he knew his requests had fallen on deaf ears and that fact didn't surprise him at all.

Watching the prisoner pace back and forth in his cell was grating on Jhari's nerves and when Ensign Norden arrived and walked to stand by her, she smiled as Jarel stopped mid-stride to study the large Bolian.

Looking the Bolian over for a few moments as if adding a new variable into some mystic equation, he turned back to face her as she approached the ship and tried some feeble humor to ease the situation. Wanting to get this over and done, she walked over to the cell panel and began entering the code to disengage the screening around the cell.

"The three of us are going for a walk. We take a left at the door and then straight until we get to the turbolift. From the turbolift we are going to go right and past a lab you may recognize. Don't even think of wasting your time trying to get in there again. The sickbay is waiting for you and in a moment you will have the honor of being their sole patient. Once there Ensign Norden will be in charge until I return. Am I clear?"

"Loud and clear Lt., but I am a bit curious as to why you are taking me out of the brig to begin with. I just remembered that on the Saratoga we had a portable unit for just this type of situation. A medical officer and their assistant would go to the brig and do the procedure from there. One hundred percent containment was kept by security and the prisoner was not tempted to try anything rash while being out of his cell. Of course, I will abide by whatever decision you feel is best."

As his words hit home and a subtle red began infusing itself into Ryes' cheeks, Jarel realized he had finally caught the security officer off guard. If the Bolian noticed it he was smart enough to keep it to himself. As she tapped her comm badge to call medical, Jarel savored the small victory. Granted, he would not get out of the brig, but on her report she would have to state that he was the one who had told her of the portable regenerator thereby ensuring the total isolation from the ship and its crew. It would also give him some small leverage if when he was allowed to defend his actions to the Captain . Would it help, probably not, but one never knows what goes on in the minds of one's enemies.

=^= Lt Ryes to Sickbay. I need a doctor in the brig. Our "guest" here has a suspected broken hand and due to the nature of his visit with us, I am hesitant to have him leave the brig. =^=

=^= Lt, this is Nurse Gaston. Dr. Cain and I will be there in a moment. Gaston out. =^=

The ten minutes it took for medical to arrive seemed like an hour to Jarel. After the frosty look Ryes had given him after terminating communications with sickbay, Jarel felt that he was back to square one with the Bajoran officer. He had been told that they were temperamental people, quick to anger and slow to cool down, and right now, he had to agree. When the door hissed open and allowed the medical duo inside, the Bolian ran a scanner over them and finding the readings to his satisfaction, led them to his cell. Entering the code to terminate the force screen, the three of them stepped into his cell and in moments they were working on his hand.

The doctor ran a small device over his hand and wrist and calmly stated he had broken three of his fingers with his outburst and that it would take a few minutes to get the necessary equipment prepared to repair the damage to his hand. The reknitting of the bones and muscles would take two hours, he was told, and after that he was strongly encouraged to use boxing gloves and a punching bag to work out his tension instead of tungsten walls. Not surprisingly, only the doctor laughed at his joke.

As they were setting up the equipment, Ryes rose from the desk and walked over to where Ensign Norden was standing. Speaking to low for anyone but him to hear her, she told the Bolian that she had an errand to run and she would be back as quickly as possible. Knowing that only a fool would try something with armed guard looming over him, Ryes turned and walked out of sickbay and headed for the turbolift. Stepping in, she instructed it to go to level five where the crew of the ship had their lodging. She had some dirt work to do for Castle and hopefully she wouldn't regret doing it.

After filing her report in the Security log she had done a quick search and found that Castle was currently assisting in the thawing of some of the Marines that had been assigned to the Grail. Wondering what would have prompted that action, Jhari made a mental note to ask him the next chance she got. The turbolift opening broke her out of her reverie and she stepped down the passageway until she came to the door that opened into Jarel Deshaine's living quarters. Overriding the lock on the door with her clearance, she stepped inside and looked around. The ship's records stated that Jarel had been living on the Grail shortly after the skeleton crew had been picked and brought aboard, but by looking at his room you would think he had just came aboard. His walls were barren and the sole object of furniture that could be viewed as a luxury in the living room area was a bookcase filled with hardback books and technical manuals. An electronic photo album sat next to a empty flower vase on top of the bookcase. Glancing at the spines of the books, she saw the works of Dante and Milton sharing equal space with Chemistry and Engineering texts of all types. Picking up the album, she thumbed the activation switch and began to glance at the images from his past. An older version of Jarel stood in front of a barn of sorts with a thin hawkish woman next to him. The caption identified the couple as Ben and Joyce Deshaine and the date marking the photo was three years old.

The majority of remaining photos were of a slender blonde Terran woman named Angeline Parrish and later her name changed to Angeline Deshaine.

Ranging from simple pictures to recorded scenes, image after image scrolled by for her to view. The markings on the photos were all six years old. The laughing Jarel Deshaine that one photo had captured was not the one who was in the Brig now. He might of had the same lean build and wiry frame, that under different circumstances Jhari might have found attractive, but he did not have the cold eyes and cynical air that the Deshaine she had met carried around him. * His mourning beginning to kill him, and his ending the mourning will likely finish him. The Prophets tell us to gain strength through our suffering not allow it to consume us. A shame that you that you lacked their guidance in your

time of decision. *

Putting the album back on top of the bookcase, she walked into the bedroom and discovered it was just as spartan as the living room. A utility cot was used for his bed and a burned concert violin was propped against the far wall with it's strings waiting to be replaced. A nightstand next to the cot had an old fashioned journal with an antique pen sitting atop of it.

Scanning the book for pertinent information, she read about the slipping of the classified info to Jarel, * by a soon to be ex-officer if she had her way about it *. She read about his plans to get Angeline out of the Lab and his fear that even if he did get her out that she would be too far gone for him to save. At times his writing was clear and easy to read, but there were times when his writing became scratchy and broken as he described macabre dreams that plagued his mind when he slept. Opening the closet, she was saw a bet'leth leaning against the inside shelving and on the ground next to it was a three pronged battle dagger that many Klingon warriors wore with their uniform. Also a set of rare Klingon operas on chip were in a small box beside the blade.

Wondering if there were anymore surprises waiting for her, she searched every inch of his quarters looking for anything suspicious or unusual.

Not finding anything beside the box which held the rest of his old journals, she checked the time and discovered that almost two hours had elapsed since she had left the brig. Gathering a change of clothes, the journal, and his photo album, Jhari made her way back to the turbolift and began the decent back to the brig. She had all the information Castle needed to lock the man up in an asylum for the rest of his days, but the only problem was that she no longer really knew if he deserved that fate...

After setting up the regenerator and placing Jarel's swollen hand inside of the glove-like attachment, the medical officers instructed the Bolian on how to read the monitors from the security officers desk. Closing the containment screen, the medical officers watched it for the first twenty minutes to make sure everything was going correctly then they departed. The gentle hum emanating from the machine soon lulled Jarel to sleep, and for the first time in a week when he slept his mind wasn't plagued by a madness that had an angel's face.

=^= Attention all hands. This is acting Captain Epic Terrakian. The Red Alert has been canceled and Gamma Shift officers should report for duty. At 22:00 hours, funeral services for Captain Zebediah Cochran will be held, with a wake to be held in the Mess Hall. Deck 10. Senior officers and their assistants have a mandatory obligation to attend. Thank you. =^=

The demanding voice of the speaker punched through the sleep induced fog in his mind and with a start as he was sitting up he realized that his hand was no longer in the regenerative machine. It was still a little stiff, but pumping his fist a few times, the stiffness faded. Norden and Ryes were discussing something at the security desk and by the heated look on her face she was worked up over something.

" What time is it?"

Both officers looked his way, and as Lt(jg) Ryes turned to face him, Jarel saw a leather bound book sitting on the desk and suddenly the source of her animation became apparent. Before them was an admission of guilt written as plainly as it gets. Not once but several times had he discussed his plans on getting her out. Vowing to do whatever it took to accomplish his goal even if it meant sacrificing this ship and it's crew for her freedom, Jarel was not surprised by them getting the book. He had left it there to be found, but he had never intended on being onboard when they did.

" I take it, you got the grand tour of my quarters. If I would have known you were wanting to stop in while I was napping, I would have cleaned it up better for you. Sorry about the mess."

" Shut up Deshaine, it's bad enough that I have to go to the Captain's funeral tonight in that damned dress uniform and pay my respects to a man I never met and when I am there, I have to explain to Lt Castle that in my professional opinion you are a threat to both the ship and the crew for the simple fact that you really don't care what measures you go to get what you want. That makes you a constant hazard and one we that is something we can ill afford on the mission we are on. This isn't a short little jaunt around the solar system and then back to Earth for some R&R."

" I know what you are Lt, this is a deep exploratory vessel whose goal is to find a missing ship and that means if you don't come back they don't care, because in their eyes the expendable ones are you. Think about that for a few minutes Lt. and see if that makes you any different than what I am."

As their verbal war was about to begin anew, the doors opened and the next shift entered as ordered. Within moments, a turnover was completed and Jarel was sitting with a new set of officers. When they replicated his meal and brought it to him along with a fresh change of clothing, Jarel requested a sonic and under the watchful eyes of his guards used the small sonic refresher in the office. Changing into his coveralls, Jarel ate his now cold meal in silence and waited. He only hoped that tomorrow would be less eventful than today, but the Lt was right about one thing though, he really didn't care what he had to sacrifice for his angel. Even if it meant he would not be there to see her enjoying her freedom.

Ensign Torill Norden entered the brig at 23:45 still clad in his workout clothing. An old Starfleet football jersey and practice shorts still stuck lightly to his blue skin and asking the guard on duty to give him a moment alone with the prisoner, he waited until they were alone before walking to the cell. The man was resting on his rack reading a small comp pad, but when the screen disappeared, he looked up.

Before the prisoner could say anything Torill spoke. " My grandfather was a farmer and for years he plowed the same field day in and day out and all his toils gained him was a meek existence and three hungry mouths to feed. My father worked that same field and like his father the land slowly took the joy from him until he was as bitter as the soil he worked. My brother now farms that land and already the smile on his face grows less common with each year. It has become a cancer to his spirit and like a cancer it will spread through his entire being snuffing out his soul. The same will go for you should you let it. You did something many would not do. There is honor in that.

There is no honor in assuming that the universe is out to break you. That is only stupidity. Are you so blind that you cannot see that Jarel Deshaine. We are not holding you out of malice, and the moment you fully understand that you will begin to see. Ryes did not enjoy making the report and Castle does not enjoy hearing it, but order must be maintained. Let go of her Jarel before the memory of her snuffs out your light. I am leaving, but before I go take this. It will help if you let it."

Handing the man a small book as he stepped out of the cell, he activated the screening and left out the door. He had crossed the line by going in there by himself, and he would take the blame should some come his way, but until then he had to do what any good shepherd would do when a sheep escaped from the flock. He had to bring it back home.

<< Stardate 47307.17-07:05>>

The red alert klaxons made Jarel drop the Bible that he had been reading when he fell asleep and within minutes Lt(jg) Ryes and the Blue shift filed into the brig to assume their duties. She looked at each junior officer present and began assigning duties to them. Falling out to their assigned station only Dorden and herself remained inside. As the last officer left the alarm silenced bathing the brig with their flashing light.

=^= To all hands. The Romulans have committed an Act of War in direct violation of the Treaty of Algeron. We WILL conflict in...15 seconds. =^=

Beneath his feet, Jarel felt the ship surge as it jumped in speed.

Then as the ship just as suddenly slowed, he heard the distinct sound a ship makes when it separates. A primal scream erupted from his soul as he realized that the Angeline was on the other section and going to engage the Romulan fleet that had committed the aggression. Pounding deck with his head as he raged against the fates, he suddenly stopped and turned to face the jailers who would detain him. Blood poured freely from his scalp and as the screen lowered and Ryes rushed in with her phaser drawn, Jarel lunged for her. He had panicked earlier when someone had drawn a weapon on him, but that was then and the life of his wife wasn't on the line. The blast caught him in his leg, but his forward momentum carried him into her and together they crashed onto the brig floor. Raising his fist to strike her, his fist was fist was caught in a blue skinned vice.

" Don't do it Deshaine. You can't help her from here and you know it. The only thing you can do is make it worse on you both. I'm sorry, but this is for your own good."

A slight pricking sensation was felt in his side as Ryes pushed the hypospray into his ribs and instantly the prisoner was unconscious.

She had not wanted it to be like this, but as the Bolian picked him up and returned him to his cell, she knew it was the only thing she could have done.

Driving those thoughts out of her mind, Ryes and Norden ran out the doors to their battle stations. After all, they had a fight to win...