A Lot of Sighs

Posted on Fri Feb 17th, 2023 @ 9:49pm by Lieutenant Commander Alexander Espersen & Petty Officer 3rd Class Fulvia Benvenuto & Captain Calypso Skyie

Mission: Trade And Tribulations
Location: Trarim Security Centre

To say that Lieutenant Commander Alexander Espersen could be impatient with people was an insult to the concept of patience itself.

It was nothing short of a miracle that he was able to keep his cool at all. And it was perhaps a good thing that the Dashian guards required him to surrender his sidearm before entering the interview room with Petty Officer Benvenuto.

“You gotta help me, Boss!” she said, suddenly jumping to her feet but stopping short, given that her wrists were chained to the table in the room’s centre. “It’s a setup, I tell ya!”

“Stow it, Petty Officer,” Alexander said, a growl in his voice betraying his efforts to contain himself. “Sit. You have sixty seconds to explain what happened, and why I shouldn’t throw you to the wolves.”

“It was like this, see,” Fulvia began. “Crewman Whatshisface and I were shopping for maps, as you do. As you ordered, if memory serves. Anyway, I’m minding my own business, talking to this round fellow in a pressure suit, when I see him. Tall as anyone, taller than you, Brown-eyes. He had a gun and he was ready to use it, so I did the heroic, Starfleet thing and put myself between the gun and the shopkeeper. Next thing I know, I’m dragged in here, in chains! I saved a shopkeeper’s life, Lexi, you should be thanking me!”

Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Can you describe the man with the weapon, Miss Benvenuto?”

“Yeah, he looked like Freddie Krueger face-fucked a topographical map of Utah.”

Another, even longer sigh. “Miss Benvenuto…speak plainly. He was Dashian?”

“Damn right, Boss! I mean, yes, sir.” At his unimpressed gaze, she sat up straight and for the first time looked away, lowering her gaze to the table. “He was Dashian. Maybe three centimetres taller than you. Weapon looked high-tech. Sir, I legitimately thought he was going to shoot the map seller.”

Alexander waved at the camera in the corner and the door opened, permitting in both a Dashian man and Captain Skyie. “Was this him?” he asked plainly.

“Oh my god! Sir! Run! It’s him!” She tried to get away but the chain kept her in place.

Calypso had gotten a 'standard' uniform beamed down for her once the call had come in, reluctantly leaving the red silky outfit elsewhere, but now she looked over at the Dashian next to her before impassively looking back at Fulvia, nothing showing on her face, "Petty Officer Benvenuto, I'd like you to meet Judiciary Officer Razan Dorme." She said simply.

"Judisha-what?!" Fulvia exclaimed.

"Sit down and shut up." Cally quipped, more coming from the lack of inflection in her voice than if she'd actually put a snarl into it. "Office Dorme, what are the charges against my crewman?" Her voice had some life to it when addressing the Dashian, but only enough to indicate that he wasn't the target of her anger.

The Judiciary Officer looked first at Calypso, then back at Fulvia before shrugging slightly, "The worst are an assault charge against the Proprietor Haggock Twilightbelly, attempted hostage-taking, along with threatening the Proprietor, attempted bribery and intimidation to force compliance."

"Attempted?!" Possibly one of the most shameful words to refer to an Iotian's activities. That one hit deep.

"I said, be quiet." Cally's eyes were fire despite her frozen voice, "If you would prefer Trarimi justice instead of mine, by all means speak your mind. I'd think carefully before opening your mouth again."

Fulvia was going to interject again, and opened her mouth to do so, but stopped. She saw the way Captain Skyie and Commander Espersen were looking at her, and thought better of it. She sat still, closed her mouth, and lowered her head.

Cally nodded and her gaze turned to the Dashian, "And the fines?"

Seeing the interplay between the Federation people, the Dashian shook his head slowly, gravelly voice very serious, "After reviewing the security footage, I believe the courts would remove the hostage charge and reduce the assault charge to accidental assault with circumstances. Clearly, however, your crewman threatened the Proprietor and sounded very willing to back those threats up, otherwise he would not have triggered the alarm that called me to his shop. One hundred Dracar would be the fine for those crimes."

"Is that all?" Fulvia muttered quietly, but shrank back into her seat when she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder.

Calypso winced slightly, "I'll guarantee the fines, being her commanding officer. If you will release her to my custody, I'll talk to the Governor about the repayment. She will not repeat these offenses."

"I have already been in contact with his office, given that you and your ship are new here." He handed over the device to unlock the chains binding Fulvia to the table, "She is free to leave with your guarantee. His office wishes to remind you about the event tomorrow and he looks forward to your attendance."

"Thank you, please relay that I'll be glad to attend. And I may be bringing a companion." An idea clicked in her head, "May I have a few minutes with my officers?"

"Of course, Captain, if you need assistance locating the exit, ask anyone around." The Judiciary Officer closed the door behind him.

Without another race's eyes on her, though she knew the cameras in here were likely still watching with interest, Cally exhaled deeply and slowly crossed the distance to the table and sat down, "Petty Officer Third Class Fulvia Benvenuto." It was like a mother using someone's full name: They would KNOW they were in trouble. "You are the first Iotian I've met, but your file is full of minor infractions which is why Bastion was willing... Eager to send you over to Chimera when we needed crew. What I want to know is what the hell you thought you were doing?" Her voice didn't rise in anger at all. A bad, bad sign.

"Just doing as ordered, Captain, I swear!" Fulvia said, trying to lift her hands pleadingly but failing again due to the chain. "We were told to get star maps. Ensign Unrememberable, the guy you put in charge of science when BeauVoyeur left, he just told me he wanted accurate maps. I figured he trusted me to get the job done!"

"And did you do it the way Starfleet training would have clearly taught you?" Alexander asked, his hand still on her shoulder, holding her in the seat. "Or did you do something stupid?"

"It wasn't stupid, sir!" She looked up to meet his eye and then turned back to meet the Captain's. "Fulvia Benvenuto is lots of things, but stupid isn't one of them. I knew what I was doing." She lost contact with the Captain's eyes. "I wasn't trying to be threatening. I was just speaking to him like a businessman. I guess things work differently here."

"Everywhere works differently than Sigma Iotia, Miss Benvenuto," Alexander reminded her.

"I know, I know," she said, a bit meekly. "What's gonna happen to me now, Cap?"

“In the words of Capo Dominic Carusetto of Sigma Iotia, ‘You done fucked up girl, time to pay the price.’” Cally let a slight smile cross her face, as she leaned forward and triggered the cuffs to release, “I didn’t say I was unfamiliar with the world. First off, you’re going to show me where this map-seller is and you’re going to apologize to him. Then we’re going to take a look at what he has, you and me.” She knew that would sting for the strong-willed petty officer, “As for after that? Well, with one Dracar being worth about a hundred and fifty Federation credits… Do you have fifteen thousand Fedcreds in cash?”

“Fifteen thousand?!” Fulvia exclaimed. “No one on board has that kinda scratch! Right?” She looked up to Espersen. “Right?!”

“I do,” he said with a smirk. “But you’re not getting it.”

The Iotian Petty Officer let out her own sigh. “I guess I’m outta luck, Cap.”

“Then you can have your choice of four different things.” The Captain sat down on the opposite side of the table, “You can stay here for a bit over three months, sweeping streets, stay for about a month as what amounts to a prostitute, or fight in the arena.” She paused for one moment to let the implications of Trarim’s punishment system sink in, “There are minimal jails here, they say service to the public and they mean it, no lazing around in a cell. The fourth option is acting as my aide tomorrow during the Governor’s event, where you can watch what happens in the arena while being my gofer. You’ll be required to dress in something specific, since you’ll technically be an indentured servant to work off the hundred Dracar, but it’s only one day so they know we’re not going to just spit on Trarimi custom. Street cred, you know.”

Fulvia put her head on the desk dramatically. “Prostitute sure sounds like the least demeaning option there, don’t it?” She sat back up. “I’ll be your gofer, Cap. And I am sorry for getting you inta any trouble. I just meant to get the maps, but my own way.”

"From here on, we do things the Starfleet way." It was the law as laid down by Calypso, "And if the Starfleet way doesn't work, you come to me before doing things your way, all right?" She waited for a nod from Fulvia, "All right, up at 'em P-O. Let's get this over with."

Hands having been released, the accused stood, rubbed her wrists where the cuffs were, and meekly followed behind the Captain, with Espersen in tow. He waved to the camera, to signal they were ready to go, and Judiciary Officer Dorme opened the door for them. Fulvia stayed behind her Captain but quietly, almost mumbling, said "I'm sorry I thought you were trying to kill us."

"Just doing my job. Try not to do it again, and we'll get along just fine." His gravelly voice admonished her gently. "Have a good day."