Reunited - Guns Blazing

Posted on Wed Mar 20th, 2019 @ 12:50pm by Lieutenant Commander Shaille Levine & Lieutenant JG Eric Rensgaald

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Security Office

Shaille waited a few moments after Eric had left her office and had been safely escorted out of Security before turning her attention to the computer in front of her. Now she had the unpleasant task at hand to deal with.

Bjorn.

Sinking back into her desk, she sealed her office and then accessed her computer, a few key strokes initiating a transport from the brig directly to the other side of her desk.

The large blonde man was on one knee, the remains of a small phaser, broken pieces in fact, held delicately in one large hand as if he'd been trying to manipulate the edge of a keypad like one that could be found inside a brig. He immediately noticed the change in location and came to his feet to a position of semi-attention, hand closing around the shard he was holding. His eyes had scanned the immediate area of the office and his eyes met hers, "Ma'am, where is His Highness?" The voice sounding as a bass rumble akin to an earthquake.

"Sit down."

The tone Shaille used made it clear this was not a request but a command.

When he hesitated she rose up from her seat, staring at him levelly. "I will give you two choices. You will sit, or you will be put on your ass with a size seven heel at your throat ready to pierce your jugular. These are your ONLY two options. I suggest you choose wisely."

Sinking back into her seat, Shaille watched him quietly. Yes, he was big, but she had dealt with bigger and badder but she had dealt with worse. She had always dealt with worse.

He hesitated for another second before slowly and carefully moving to the chair and slowly sitting, then repeated, "Ma'am, where is His Highness?" Still respectful, but despite that, a demand. The Prince was his charge, after all.

"Lieutenant Rensgaald is perfectly safe and has been sent to speak to one of my other staff before returning to his quarters for the evening, but I think right now you and I need to get a few things straight." Shaille stood up from her seat, heading toward the replicator. "I need a coffee, do you want anything?" she asked hospitably.

"Coffee, please, ma'am. Black." Bjorn requested, "And thank you, His Highness is very important to Renetia."

Taking the two mugs, Shaille set a mug of black coffee in front of him before holding her own mug of extra strong coffee with extra strong sugar in her hands. Sinking back into her seat, she looked across at him, studying him carefully as she took her first sip from her drink.

"Every single person on this ship is important to me," Shaille said quietly. "My job, my one and only job, on this ship, is protecting this crew. I will be perfectly blunt, when you come in here and you mess with my job, it's offensive. It's like you're saying that I don't take my job seriously, or, like you did earlier, that you can do better because a piece of paper says so. Now, tell me, how did you like your stint in the brig?" Shaille asked, while her voice was not outright cold, there was a level of determination there that was rather unusual, even for her.

He had taken a sip of his own coffee before setting the mug down, still sitting at attention, "Ma'am, I'm not hindering your job and would never intentionally do so. To compromise the safety of someone in Security would be to put the ship in danger which would put the Crown Prince in danger." Bjorn shook his head slowly, "I meant no offense, no challenge. I am dedicated to the safety of the ship assignment I'm on, but my paramount task as a member of the Royal Guard is to protect the Crown Prince's life. As this was our first time in this location, it was my duty to ensure that there were no hidden dangers. Perhaps I chose the wrong words earlier?" He ignored the question about the few minutes in the brig.

"Then I suggest that right now we sit here and we work out how best we can work together to achieve common goals," Shaille said quietly. "My intent is keeping everyone on this ship alive, that includes you and Lieutenant Rensgaald." She took a sip of her coffee, watching him in silence for a moment. "I have been the last soul standing on a ship being destroyed before, and I won't hesitate to do the same again. But, you need to understand that if you stand in my way, I will resolve it, once and for all."

"Ma'am, the only way I would be standing in your way would be to stand between you and danger." He took a moment to take another drink of his coffee, "We of Renetia are ready for Ragnarok whenever it comes and that challenge comes in many forms. Not all of us will survive that test, but we don't cast away our lives foolishly, either. Yes, His Highness has his own test to face and if he dies, he dies, my last task in this life will be to avenge him before I join him in Valhalla, but that's MY duty just as his service is his own."

"Then you understand why I won't be assigning you to work beside him on shifts," Shaille said quietly. "His path is his to make. You can follow, but you can't change it. You've been assigned to my team, you're able bodied and appear to be able to participate. I need every body I can get. This is not going to be a babysitting mission for you. IF you want to stay aboard this ship, then you will earn your place here as a member of my staff, NOT as his body guard. If you don't like those terms, say so and I can see you're transferred out immediately."

Bjorn's ice blue eyes never wavered, "It never has been a babysitting mission for me. It wouldn't be proper if I were to prevent him from going into danger, yet he is the Heir to Renetia. Will you prevent me from guarding him during off-duty periods? From being at his side during civilian situations when he's acting AS High Highness, Crown Prince Eric Rensgaald of Renetia?" This WAS a challenge, a soft challenge, but a challenge.

Setting the mug down, and pushing it aside slightly, Shaille leaned forward, her elbows resting on her desk. "Yes, I will," she said quietly. "As long as he is on this ship then he is acting as a representative of the Federation first and foremost, which means I will be responsible to him. If you want to be part of this crew, I will accommodate as best I can. If you step out of the bounds that you are assigned, I will have you confined to your quarters." She paused, leaning back in her seat and picking up her coffee. "I have no desire to argue with you, God knows I have more than enough to deal with. But I will do what ever it takes for everyone in my department to do their job, no questions asked."

"And I am not preventing him from doing his job, ma'am." Bjorn's voice was reasoned, "When I say off-duty periods, I mean periods where both His Highness and myself are scheduled as off-duty at the same time. When my guarding him affects no-one but ourselves. And if he's acting as a head of state in his own right, he is required by Renetian law to have an armed retainer at his back. It is His Lordship's command and His Highness is commanded to return to Renetia should the situation occur that he go into such a situation without a retainer. Neither of these situations would degrade you or the security section's capabilities to defend the ship. I apologize if that is not what you desire to hear, ma'am, and I do desire to cooperate with you in order to remain in His Highness's general location in case he requires me. I swear I will not step out of the bounds of my assigned duties, so long as those two needs are met. You would have no cause to regret the decision."

Shaille held up a hand to silence him. "When you are both off duty I don't care what you do, I really don't. But any time EITHER of you are on duty, I am the one responsible, and you will both do as I say, regardless. On duty Your duty will be to this ship and this crew as a whole." Shaille countered. "Do we understand each other?"

"That, I have no argument with." Bjorn agreed, "I take my duties, ALL of my duties, very seriously no matter what they are."

"Good. Tomorrow morning you can report to the marine training area. Ask for Staff Sergeant Dreik. I'll let you know when training is over." Shaille said with a smile, leaning back in her chair and sipping slowly at her coffee. "Thank you, that will be all for now."

=/\=

Lieutenant Shaille Levine
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Wellington

Petty Officer 3rd Class Bjorn Klentjin
Security Officer/Bodyguard
USS Wellington