"Full house!" Rogers exclaimed as he laid down his cards. Arda groaned, Fionn growled, François laughed and Kirby cursed.
"What!?! That's the third hand in a row!" the old marine said.
"Guess it's just beginner's luck." Rogers said with a smile.
"Come on, Kirby, don't tell me you're giving up?" François teased.
"I ain't giving up 'til I've played you off the table, kid."
François took the cards, it was his turn to deal. "As usual, ladies are wild!" he said as he shuffled.
"Do you ever call anything else?" asked Arda.
François smiled, "Nope. What can I say? I have a weak spot for wild women!"
"They're cards!" Kirby said, exhasperated.
"Who's talking about cards?" DeMontigny answered, his grin widening, "By the way, how did you all end up on the Grail?" he asked as he passed the cards.
A short silence followed as none wanted to begin. Finally, Arda broke the silence: "Officially... I'm here because of Epic, but the real reason is just because they wanted to get rid of me..." she seemed to want to add more, but decided to stop there.
"Epic?" Rogers asked, uncertain, "Captain Terrakian?"
"Yeah," Arda answered, "because of our daughter. They said they didn't want to seperate a family. Assholes."
"Wait a minute," François intervened, "You and Epic had a daughter?"
"No... he adopted Kaede." she said.
"Oh... still, I didn't you and the Captain were an item. I'll have to catch up on my gossip." DeMontigny said with a grin.
"We're not..." Arda sighed. "Not exactly... Our relationship is strictly... parental."
Kirby looked up as Arda finished. The heads at the table looked at him. "I was doing range duty when an Admiral's son blew his own head off by reassembling his rifle wrong. He pulled enough strings to get me drummed out of the Corps, unless I disappeared real fast. The Grail was the only bet I had to stay in the Corps," finished Kirby. He slid two blue chips into the center of the table. "I'm in for ten."
Vincent looked at the expecting eyes around him. Shifting in his seat, he began to speak. "I was an engineer on board the Byrd, which was primarily a science vessel. Something happened with the navigational computer, and we ended up drifting into Romulan territory.
It was found that my name was the only name on the registry to examine the program prior to our last launch. So, naturally they thought I had tampered with the navigational programs. It was either the Grail or a penal colony for me."
Rogers threw in a blue chip, then looked up to see Fionn's eyes glaring at him as the feline spoke. "So, did you tamper with the computer?"
Vincent casually smiled and arranged his cards in his hands. "Of course not. IF I had done it, and I do mean if, I wouldn't have left any trace of my presence behind.
"And how did you end up here?" asked Rogers as he turned to Francois.
"Actually, I volunteered." he said, throwing his cards on the table as he folded. The reaction was surprise from all.
"Why the hell would you volunteer to go on a doomed ship?" finally asked Kirby.
"I... like to flirt with Lady Death." DeMontigny answered with a smile.
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<<much later>>
Rogers and Arda had left, leaving DeMontigny and Kirby to square off. The alcohol flowed, affecting François more than his opponent, but the helmsman managed to clean the table. Poker was his game.
"Eh bien... seems like I kicked yur ash, Kirby..." he said.
"That may be, be we still have to finish our drinking contest... or do you give up?" answered the marine.
"Give up?!? To a fucking marine? JAMAIS!" François said with exagerated emotion before clumsily downing another snakebite.
"You know, for a damn squid, you aren't half bad, Frenchie. I hope you don't mind me calling you Frenchie, but if you do, tough shit," said Kirby as he licked the salt from the back of his hand. He shot the tequila, then jammed the lemon wedge into his mouth, grimacing only slightly.
"Thanksh, Chief," slurred Francois. "You're not so bad yourshelf."
Kirby downed yet another shot glass of tequila, and ate the lemon this time instead of just sucking on it. He slammed his glass down on the table, and motioned to the holo-waitress for her to bring more glasses.Kirby reached down beside him and picked up another bottle of tequila, and screwed off the cap. He poured another shot glass for each of them, and picked up the salt shaker.
"Why don't you give up, kid? You're already halfway to the floor."
"Do you know what the problem ish with you marines??" DeMontigny started, leaning on the table heavily. "You all think you're shooooo good... well you're not! I kicked your shorry assh and you can't acchept it! HA!" He took a shot of tequila from the bottle, tilting his head back. However, his head continued to go backwards as his chair fell over. Soon, he was sprawled on the floor, unconcious. Tequila all over his uniform.
Kirby laughed for a few moments, hard. He tossed back his shot, but didn't bother with the lemon. He stood up slowly, but unwavering. Striding over, he placed his feet on either side of Francois' ribcage, a triumphant gesture. Kirby leaned over and grabbed the unconscious man's shoulders, and pulled the man up and put him over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes. "Hey!" he called to the bartender, "you got a ba--" then he stopped himself. Of course there wasn't.
"Computer, activate Barracks, Annapolis, Earth, Marine Corps Academy." A chime later, the scenery changed, revealing the clean walls and single bunks of a Marine barracks. Kirby smiled in satisfaction and approval. He stepped towards the latrines.
Kirby half-dropped Francois on the tile floor of the showers, illiciting a grunt from the Helmsman. With a delighted grin on his face, Kirby tapped the pad to turn on the water. "Computer, water temperature cold."
<Please specify temperature> vocalised the computer.
"Five degrees Celsius," said Kirby, and he leaned against the cool tile, awaiting Sleeping Frenchie's awakening.
Joint post by:
Yeoman Vincent Rogers, Lt.(jg) François DeMontigny and Chief Jeb Kirby