Posted by Civilian Jessa Novar (Child) in Jessa meets Allies in Starfleet Command…when the past doesn’t match the present…or the future

Posted by Fleet Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Jessa meets Allies in Starfleet Command…when the past doesn’t match the present…or the future

Posted by Fleet Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Jessa meets Allies in Starfleet Command…when the past doesn’t match the present…or the future
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Celia Decker put down her PaDD and smiled at Yvonne behind the nurse’s desk. “I’m gonna go grab a 2 pm pick me up on my break. Want anything?”

“Only that hot new Lieutenant on bed rest in my quarters,” she let out a full-bodied laugh. “Girl, did you see him during his physical?” Yvonne drew her lips back in a tight-lipped smile and made a small guttural sound in her throat indicating she was extremely happy but not saying a word.

“Yes because I checked him in,” Celia drummed the top of the Desk with her hands. Making a shooting gesture at Yvonne, Celia walked out a Sickbay. Taking the first corridor she talked herself back into a small alcove and activated her COM badge.

“Everything is in play for when the target returns from her meeting with Rinker. I’ll advise when she is on route. Any further instructions,” she asked for silence on the other end of the call?”

Celia moved from the small alcove where she delivered her message and to the mess hall down from sick pay. Looking at the people passing her and the surroundings Celia did not feel an ounce of guilt or remorse. She’s been placed here for a reason and it was not to get comfortable with the crew. A week from now it would be a new crew on another ship or posting. There was never a reason to get attached to anything about her duty Stations or the people on them.

She did let her mind wander as to how her superiors had enacted the plan so quickly. Is it only been a month and an operation like this normally took months to plan. Replicating her coffee and danish Celia moved back to Sickbay to wait for Jessa. The girl was normally only gone for an hour with the head shrink Celia just hoped that Rinker would not be able to fix anything in the short amount of time. Keeping Jessa unbalanced kept Jessa in line.

Entering sickbay Celia busied to herself keeping one eye on the door. She would have to move fast to make sure the girl wasn’t missed when she met the XO.

Celia Decker. Doctor

Jessa walked back to sickbay feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders contemplating how bipolar she always felt leaving Rinker’s office. At times she felt like she could tell the man anything like he understood her and would help her no matter what. She felt safe with him, a feeling she hadn’t felt in a very long time. While many things he said or stated, Jessa didn’t agree with, he never was cross or angry at her. The more Jessa thought about this another idea began to take clarity in her head. Maybe that was the problem with Rinker that Jessa could not pinpoint. Pellan told her often that love and anger were both needed in a relationship. Lovers fought because they loved each other too much at times. Parents disciplined their children because they wanted them to be better than they were. Rinker was too neutral on just about every subject she presented at least emotionally. He stated his opinion in roundabout open-ended questions but never strayed far from the level, soothing tone.

Her thinking led her to the opposite side of the Rinker coin which was why she didn’t feel safe or trusted him at times. Jessa did not like people yelling or being upset. No one liked being screamed at yet when one lost control of their emotions, their inner thoughts came alive and their true personality showed. Evrilla was right. No one was nice or happy all the time so why was Rinker that way. The most logical answer was usually correct. That answer said Rinker had no vested interest in making friends with Jessa. That led her to be suspicious of why he wanted to see her every day then. If she ever met with Rinker again, Jessa decided she would ask him point-blank why he wanted to have lunch with her if the conversation was always going to be so bland and one-sided.

Entering her room, however, pushed all these thoughts from her mind. The room was not the same as when she left it. Her heart pounded slightly not seeing the stuffed creature the nurse had given her before she left for Rand. The woman had said it was important that it never be out of Jessa’s sight and she had already lost it. The panic of the missing stuffed creature however was soon replaced with curiosity. The room was no longer barren and sterile. On the small table, she used for her meals were several new items. First, her clothes had been returned and were neatly folded in a pile. Along with them were several other outfits: a pair of jeans , black leggings, a few shirts in various colors, and a sweater that was a soft pink. Jessa thumbed through them glancing back at the door.

“What is all this,” Jessa scanned the room now seeing that her bed no longer had the light gray wool blanket, that was standard in sickbay but a thick down comforter with a blue, teal, and purple paisley design. The simple edition of the bedding gave the area a warmer and less institutional feel. She stood in the room looking curious but also on edge.

“Beats me I left with you,” O’Neill shrugged looking around the room with the same slightly confused expression. The confusion was real on both their parts.

Ian entered sickbay almost on Jessa’s heels. He had planned to be there when she arrived back to her room only his post-conference took a few minutes longer than he planned on. Activating the badge on his chest, he opened a comm line that Rinker had access to as promised in the post-conference. The psychiatrist wouldn’t have visuals but he would have audio if he chose to listen in. Ian had no idea how Jessa would react. It if went poorly, Rinker would have first-hand knowledge of her epic meltdowns. If she reacted in a positive fashion, maybe the man could use it in their next therapy session. Either way, Ian would let the chief shrink figure out what if anything the man would do with any information he obtained in the coming few minutes.

Turning her attention back to the small table, Jessa saw a PaDD like all the crew walked around with next to the pile of clothes. Besides the clothes and electronic device was a soft, blue ball like she played within Rinker’s office. The final items were a stuffed border collie and a pair of earphones.

Picking up the PaDD wiped the worry about the stuffed toy from her mind. The device was of far more importance to her than anything the doctor left this morning. If she had been able to sneak them in once, Jessa was sure Celia Decker could do it again. Picking the device up, Jessa flipped it over several times in her hands. The screen was dark indicating it was off. Shaking it and then poking at the screen Jessa did not hide her frustration well.

Ian moved through sickbay with a frown. He had wanted to be here when Jessa arrived but had been delayed. Arriving at the room, he saw Jessa immediately checking out all the things on the table. Why was that the first thing you went to, Ian watched her actions with all the intensity of a hostage situation. Rinker had suggested all the times in the room and his decision was logical. His mother said idle hands were the devil’s work. With Jessa, this was all too accurate. Jessa was calmest when occupied with something. Leaving her in the room, alone with her own thoughts was problematic. No one thought for a second the small bouts of happy verbal banter or politeness indicated a change of heart by the young girl. It just was the moments she wasn’t actively scheming against them. He watched as she poked, banged, and shook the PaDD until it felt like he was torturing her with what should be a gift.

“Give it,” Ian’s voice suddenly seemed to appear out of nowhere startling her. Jumping back she let the PaDD slip from her hands and fall to the floor with a clatter that seemed to echo in the space. One look at her face showed Ian just how on edge Jessa felt. “Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he leaned down to pick up the PaDD far slower than necessary. The last thing Ian needed was for this gesture to go sideways. “You turn it on like this,” Ian tilted the PaDD towards her and depressed the small tab booting the device up. “Figured after two days in here you had to be going stir crazy.” Sitting on the edge of her bed, Ian held out the device for Jessa to take it.

Reaching out she took it slowly as if it were a bomb ready to explode. Her eyes glanced down seeing the familiar symbol of the Federation which was plastered on enough surfaces, Jessa was now recognizing it. That was the only thing however she could read and it was by symbols and not actual phonemes. She frowned slightly coming to the realization how useless the device was she had been scheming to get her hands on. Without the ability to read or write their language it was just a rectangular paperweight.

“This wasn’t anything I asked for,” she countered handing the PaDD back crossing her arms and looking at Ian. “Why is it here?” If these people thought giving her back her clothes, a rubber ball, and toy were suddenly going to win her over they were vastly mistaken.

“As I said I thought you might be bored sitting here,” Ian repeated holding the device still out to her. “I know it is not much but,” he let the rest of the sentence remain open-ended. Jessa was a smart girl even if at times she played dumb. She could fill in the answer for herself. “Chris’ wife Lexi…Chris was the man from last night,” he reiterated in case Jessa had forgotten, “picked out the clothes which you can wear or not. Your choice. If you don’t like them she said she could get you other ones.”

“I don’t need your clothes. I have my own,” she snapped knocking them off the table with a flick of her hand so only her uniform remained on the table. Her expression has shifted from one of nervousness to defiance. Jessa waited for Ian’s reaction. None of this made sense. She needed to know why there was such a sudden shift in attitude towards her.

What you need is an attitude adjustment little girl and I am this close to giving you one. Only years of being in situations with difficult people allowed Ian to not show what he was thinking on his face. Rinker was smoking something if he thought six months was going to do anything practical with Jessa besides maybe stop the bible rhetoric every five sentences from her. Taking a second, Ian ignored what he wanted to say to Jessa and focused on what needed to be said. Set clear limits and expectations like you do with any kid. Lay down the rules so she knows what to expect and when, Ian reminded himself what he already knew and was confirmed by Rinker. “That is up to you but I am going to warn you. If you break or destroy anything we have given you, you won’t get it back. You are right you don’t need this stuff but it was given to you because I thought you might like it and it might make you more comfortable right now.” His tone was not threatening but it was firm and left little room for interpretation.

Ian Bordeaux

His meaning was loud and clear. Jessa did not miss it. Ian was attempting to exert some sort of authority over her. It was dangerous for this man to see her not as an equal. Taking the offered PaDD in his hand felt like capitulation somehow in her head. If he had meant to give it to her, then he would not take it back in theory. She stood there not looking at the PaDD still being offered in his hand but at the man himself. It made no sense as to why the person her quad was sent to target was presenting himself to her every minute of every day. Now he was bringing gifts? Jessa was used to dangerous people. These people were a different type of danger. They had a way of seeping into your head and muddling your thoughts. As soon as she saw him lay the PaDD on the bed next to him, Jessa spoke. “You did this? Not Rinker,” she looked at Ian like he had grown a second head spontaneously.

“Why is that so hard to believe,” Ian asked vaguely enough hoping if he got Jessa talking she would fill in the blanks necessary to try and win her trust. Right now trying to find things to make her happy or at the very least pleasant was like throwing a dart from a motorcycle going one hundred miles an hour while blindfolded. He had a general idea where the target was but not a chance in hell of hitting it. Still, he had her talking and it was not delving into a screaming match so all things being equal it was a semi-win.

Jessa pursed her lips and gave him a shrug. She had no basis for her thoughts on why Ian was out to screw her in every way possible past the machinations of her own imagination painting him as the enemy. Their mission said to make contact with him. All Jessa had done was make contact with the man since the moment she arrived albeit she didn’t know who he was until her altercation with Mardusk. The biggest problem for Jessa now, past trying to escape the situation, was figuring why Ian was the mission target and his connection to the Prism. None of the technology matched so there was no way they were using the Prism for its intended purpose and the Prism only had one purpose.

Jessa Novar