Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in Skeletons in the Family Closet (Tag Juliet)

Posted by Ensign Juliet Anders (Security Officer /RTF) in Skeletons in the Family Closet (Tag Juliet)

Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in Skeletons in the Family Closet (Tag Juliet)
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Juliet was shocked. Part of her wanted to rail at what she saw. Seeing Cas’ broken body and shattered mind reminded her of her own past. Had she looked that way? Had she seemed feral? Was that why she was never adopted… never wanted… never sought?

She stepped sideways a couple paces and scrolled thru a bit of the reports. After a moment, she spoke up. “You said your death was kept in place to protect your parents. From what?” She looked at Cas. “And are they still in danger?” She still wasn’t sure she believed it. But she had to know.

Juliet

Casela missed her parents. She got sporadic updates on them. Last she had heard her father was very sick and the doctors didn’t know if they could help him. Fey had offered to find out, but Casela hadn’t wanted to risk it. So she waited. “From the man who had me. I blew the compound on my way out, but explosives have never been my strong suite, and,” she waves towards the screen, “as you can see I wasn’t exactly sane. Later reports never indicated if he died or escaped, so it was deemed best to continue to report me as dead, so no one would come looking. As for if they are still in danger, considering my job, and the fact that there are several seeder individuals who would like me dead, I would have to say firmly, yes they are.” She wouldn’t apologize for it, she did what she could to keep them safe. She’d know in a few weeks if Mad Man was still alive or not and then she could move forward.

Casela

Juliet sighed mentally. Externally she gave no sign of reaction. “So that’s why you are ‘dead’ and at your last rank.” She said it matter of factly, as if just clarifying what she had just learned. She had changed her name and background for similar reasons. She had done it so her family line couldn’t be traced. Though she had no family to protect at the time, so she thought, the powers that be thought it best.

Casela nodded her head firmly and decisively. Yes that was why and she had her reasons just as Juliet had hers. They did what they had to do.

She still wasn’t sure she could trust Cas. She was at such odds it wasn’t funny. Who did one talk to when the Counselor was the one you were questioning? And how much could she trust the other Counselor not to go to Cas with her report? Cas was their supervisor, after all. Right?

She turned her back on Cas and went back to the window. Of all the places, and all the times, why here and now? “I haven’t contacted anyone since…” she paused realizing she had never contacted anyone. She figured they were all dead or moved on. “Well, you don’t have to worry about me saying anything. All right?” She turned back, her arms crossed in a defensive and protective pose. She just stared. Part of her mind tried to place Cas in the role of childhood confidant, cousin and best friend. The other part of her brain kept seeing a plant. Someone to keep an eye on her, make her mess up, and put the final report in her record that would resign her to a life of solitude in shame outside the Fleet.

And for several moments, neither side was winning. And the pain and confusion showed on her face.

Juliet

Casela, finally, leaned back against the bulk head, a relaxed posture, and crossed her arms across her chest, a defensive one. “I’m not worried about you saying anything. Either you will or you won’t, and I’ll deal with the consequences of either.” If Juliet was a plant it didn’t matter what information she got from Casela. She already had it or her superiors did. Casela had one of two paths to take, but the decision could not be made until she knew why Juliet was there. “Let’s get to the heart of the matter. Who sent you? And were you sent to break me or to kill me?” And deep down she wondered, but did not dare to hope, have the gods seen fit to return you to me. Have I finally paid penance for the deeds I have done? Though the thought was deeply hidden, Juliet would still feel the slight surge of optimism and hope against her questions.
Lt. Synthi-er, CNS

As Cas took a defensive posture, Juliet stiffened. She was in her own quarters, so she had weapons within easy reach. The question was, what did Cas have on herself that she could reach faster. When the woman proclaimed she didn’t care one way or another what Juliet did with the information, she thought the statement would be finished with because you aren’t gonna be in any shape to tell anyone. But then something shifted. Shifted in both tone, and miniscule posture tells in the woman across from her.

Casela had been living in a world of constant combat and she recognized the look of a person who was comfortable in their surroundings but wary of their opponent. Casela always had a weapon, even when she didn’t need it. It was past habit at this point, it was instinct. But she had no intention of physically arguing with Juliet.

And Cas asked if Juliet was there to break or kill her.

The reaction was so immediate, she couldn’t stop it. Sheer surprise and a stunned look filled Juliet’s features before she could school them quickly enough. Cas thought she was a plant. Was it a ploy? A way to get her to admit something cause she had been caught so off guard? Trouble was, she wasn’t either. So the question got a completely different reaction.

Juliet broke into laughter.

“Wait… you thought I was brought here to kill you? Why would I do that? You are on a ship that’s more highly guarded than anything I’ve ever seen. I’m here cause I’ve been booted to the ass end of the universe to a ship of hardasses who are waiting for me to screw up again so I can be sent to retirement without provocation. If anything, I’d think you had the scoop to watch me for instability or my first misstep in judgement and send me packing.” She shook her head and sighed. “I’m not here to kill you, or break you. I’m here to mess up cause I’m in an impossible situation.” She shrugged unable to think of anything else to add.

“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” Casela wasn’t going to make guesses and ‘confirm’ whatever crime Juliet’s ‘boss’ gave her if that was the case. But it was Casela’s turn to laugh. “We all, here on this crew, are in an impossible situation. Why don’t you take a look at our roster, look at the history of each of the crew, as far as your clearances can give you. We’re all here to be thrown away because we pissed off the wrong person. But we’ve made it despite others’ expectations. Either your story is true and you have a friend somewhere. Meaning they thought you deserved a second change, but could only do so much, so they sent you to this ship of misfits. Or you’re a plant with an excellent back stopping, and we, the crew, have a much bigger problem.”

She had been told one more screw up and she was gone. When she got here, and glanced at the roster, she had two impressions. One was that she was sent to the most regimented ship in the far flung reaches of space, with no way out, because it meant she would do something horribly wrong in her first week. Or that this was the place screw ups were sent to be ‘forgotten’ as fodder. Used because they had to go ‘somewhere’, but not mourned if they were lost.

Juliet
(lost and on the edge)

“So I see this going two ways. You can either make the best of the team you’ve been given, or continue to be paranoid.” It was something that Uncle Jo’nar was fond of saying.
Lt. Synthi-er, CNS

Too much of what the woman said was making sense. And that almost irritated Juliet more than the unknown. Was that all that had happened? Someone had sent her here to get her ‘off’ the radar and grant her a second chance to become someone the Fleet wanted and needed again? It didn’t make sense… yet it did.

As Casela asked if she was going to make the most of it or continue to be paranoid, Jewels crossed her arms and rocked to set one hip off center. “I don’t know. Are you gonna stop being paranoid?” She knew that if they truly were who they said they were. And there were here for the reasons Cas said, neither was going to stop being paranoid. But at least it would cease to be between the two of them. “No point in me saying I’m all good if you are still gonna keep worrying if the knife in my pocket is aimed at your back.” The last was said almost with a hint a sadness, that was swiftly erased from her face. She desperately wanted the nightmare of being alone to be over. But she wasn’t sure she knew what to do if it was.

Juliet
Errr? Lost.... still?

Casela grinned, “Totally stop? Nope, a little paranoia in our lines of work will save your life. But I’m learning, Juliet, that there are people worth trying for. And if there was ever anyone in my life I would try my hardest for, it’s my Sorellina.” She dropped her hands to her side and shrugged, palms open, “The knife in my boot doesn’t have your name on it.” She glanced sadly at the medical log on the screen. So many wounds, so many Knives that made them. “Knives to my back to scare me.” It’s the ones I should see coming, but don’t, that do. “I want that chance, but I won’t force it on you.”
Lt Synthi-er CNS

Juliet just took a moment to stare at Cas. Her thoughts were open and clear, she truly missed and cared for Juliet and that was plain in her thoughts. So was the fact she didn’t want harm to come to her cousin. But Juliet had lived life so long closed and scared and then completely shut off, she wasn’t sure how to just open up and let the woman in.

“Then I guess we are square there. I don’t have your name on mine, either.” It was said almost dead blank with no expression. If Cas searched, she would see, and hear the litany in Juliet’s head about finally finding family and on the brink of losing it again if she blew this. “I’m not gonna throw myself into your arms if that’s what you are looking for. My emotions were spent out and lost long ago. So unless I’m raging in a fight, I doubt there is much emotion left for anyone. But I believe you are my cousin and the one I remember from my childhood. I don’t know how we ended up here. And I can’t promise it’s gonna be any easier than being apart all this time.” She shook her head, a mental collapse of her anxiety almost audible in the room. “But I’ll try. I can’t do any better than that.” She hadn’t moved towards Cas though a small voice in the back of her head was trying to coax her to do it. But like she had said out loud… she wasn’t even capable of it anymore.

Juliet
…. here....