=== Mess hall=== Gary had taken a break from the preparations for the up and coming mission. He had contacted the General discretely, to arrange a time for him to train with the assault team assigned to the bridge. His inquiry was met with a strange reply, that the general was not going on the ship at all but only flying a shuttle and that he figured it would be best if the bridge assault team trained without the distraction of him being around. This was enough to confuse the hell out of Gary, since Jack Walsh had specifically said the general was assaulting the bridge with the team. Since he could not find Jack to confirm this with him, he decided to take a break and get a bite to eat. Now in the mess hall he was sitting at the lunch style counter snacking on a ham and cheese sandwich the chef had prepared for him. Though the ham was replicated, the bread was fresh baked by the chef and the cheese was somewhat fresh form the base. As he sipped down some cream soda, he noticed Aidan Lynch walk in. "Lynch!" he called out. "Over here!" he motioned with his hand. Aidan strode over to where Gary was sitting, in a visibly good mood. After taking a long nap and an even longer shower, he barely felt the bruises from the new training. This new ODA XO was a tough man of few words, but his tactics had paid off. The assault team had successfully breached the X'Chi Barrier that surrounded the Computer Mainframe, with no casualties and just two men with serious, but repairable injuries (not real of course, it was a simulation after all). All in all, and considering that Gary and himself had made those beasts really tough, it was quite satisfactory. And he never had liked bugs anyway. Aidan sat down next to the Petty Officer and got himself a mug of coffee. "Allright, mate, how are ye?" he greeted his teammate. Gary nodded and turned towards him. "So how is the leg? You ready for another round with those big, ugly, smelly beasts?" he asked Aidan about the holo-program. "Leg's fine, cheers, mate" replied Aidan and took a sip of his mug. "And we don't really know if those things are smelly... technically. I mean, I've never sat down and smelled a grasshopper, have you?" he continued and smirked. "How's the arm?" he then inspected Gary, considering that the PO had taken a long simulated slice of his upper arm. "Must've hurt like a bastard, didn't it?" he nodded like a wise uncle. Gary nodded, "Aye I never have smelled one either. Pretty damn hard to catch one of the earth one, 4 inches long and all, but to smell one?" he chuckled. He flexed his arm a bit and looked at it. "It will be fine. Little bruised but it will heal. " he said looking up. "I changed the program a bit to deliver a mild shock instead of beating you up. That way we all wont be battered to death before the actual mission." He smiled. "Hah" laughed Aidan, "I bet Walsh is gonna like that." he took another sip of his coffee. "Too bad he missed the introduction of our programm. Seems the Major was busy, but I tell you, next time, we'll have a laugh with all them bugs going after him." he grinned. Gary smiled back. "Well I can't wait to see the Majors expression. I will have to make it a point to observe his team going through the program." He nudged Aidan, "And may be up the voltage just a hair when he gets hit." He smiled. Noticing some commotion behind him, Gary turned around to see the Cardassian Medical specialist Ra'nar and one of the other ODA members having a heated discussion. Gary tapped on Aidan's shoulder, "What do you know about the Cardassian medical specialist?" he asked. Aidan turned around and frowned. "Not much really, mate" he replied, without loosing sight on the discussion. "Silent ladd, seemed to know his ways the little times I talked to him. Isn't too comfortable probably..." he shrugged. "... You know, with the skipper being Bajoran." "Well someone seems to have a problem with him." He pointed. "And by the looks of it there is going to be a fight." He remarked to Aidan. As they watched they saw Ra'nar jump over the table and tussle the one man to the floor. The two scrambled for a moment. Gary shook his head, "Why can't they take that energy out on the holodeck?" he mumbled to Aidan. Aidan shrugged again. "I tell you one thing tho." he replied watching the scene. "That other ladd. Is that Blake? he'll better be careful, Cardassians aren't bad fighters. I'd watch for the hook... Ouch... that's what I meant" he commented and turned to Gary, as Ra'nar had connected a particular good hit on Blakes face. "Gary, don't take it seriously, it's a bar brawl. It happens. It helps vent some extra... you know... conflicts that might not find a way to be solved in the counselors office. Let them finish, we'll buy them a pint later and everything settled." he commented calmly to Williams. Gary shrugged. "I know but we should be a team, not at odd with each other, no matter who is on the team. After all, the guy you hate might be the guy standing next to you when the proverbial shit hits the fan. And you need to be able to count on him." He said keeping an eye on the fight. Aidan nodded. "I know what you mean, mate, but those guys, they are used to beat the shit out of somebody. It's their way, that's what they trained for. Try and make them sit down and reason and you'll find a new meaning to the word challenge. In any case, I don't expect it to go beyond that, and we shouldn't worry" he said lightly. When Gary saw the phaser pulled out and pointed, he immediately jumped up form his seat. He didn' t see the blade when he yelled "Enough". He motioned to Aidan for some backup and then slowly started to walk towards the two. "Stand down gentlemen!" he barked out. Aidan sighed and stood up. Why was it, that some people never respected the acepted boundaries of a bar brawl? He walked up next to Gary, but let him handle the situation, preferring to inspect both contestants. The expression of pure hate on Blakes' face spoke books, whereas Ra'nar had a calculating look, measuring every move of his oponent. No wonder Blake looked beaten, that was a fight of emotion vs training. Aidan could figure out where Blakes look came from, he had seen it too often. Bajoran and Cardassians, Humans and Klingons, Klingons and Romulans, the list was endless. Aidan didn't know too much about Ra'nar, nor about his origins, but, he didn't care much about that either. Pulling a phaser on a fellow ODA member was the wrong way. In any situation. "Right, ladds" he backed up Gary. "Sit down, both of ye and have a break." he said in a half-friendly, half-commanding tone. Gary stared at the two men on the floor. "Fighting is one thing. But I will not have members of the oda pulling weapons on each other!" he commanded. Walking slowly up to the two men he kept an eye on them waiting for the worse, hoping for the best. He stretched out his hand at Blake. "Hand me the weapon mister Blake." He ordered. Blake did not flinch one bit. "After he gives you the thing he is poking in to my mid section!" he growled back. Gary leaned over a bit to look down and saw Ra'nar holding a knife at Blake. "Hrm. Both of you just could not keep this as a simple fist fight could ya?" he remarked softly. Grabbing Blake by the collar he lifted him up backwards to his feet. "Ok now he is not poking you." He said stretching out his hand for the phaser. Meanwhile, Aidan offered a hand to the Cardassian on the floor. "Put that away, ladd" he said calmly. Ra'nar flinched and gave Aidan the knife. Disdaining the hand, the medical specialist stood up and started to pad the dust of his uniform. Once Blake finally handed Gary the phaser, he started to talk. "I don't care what differences you have with the other members of the crew, but I NEVER want to see you pull a phaser on them with out ord..." Was all he got out when Ra'nar knocked in to gary and a Cardassian fist came flying bpast his face, striking Blake. What happened next was a blur. Gary was tossed and bumped several times before falling to the floor, watching the two men restart the fight from there. {At least neither of them have a weapon.} he though looking back at Aidan holding the Knife. Gary pulled himself up off the floor and shook his head in disgust. Aidan swore and stabbed the knife onto the next table. Seeing Gary in an unlucky position, he had no choice but to intervene himself. He took the phaser, set it on the lowest level and aimed carefully at the two contestants and spoke up. "Ladds, you've got two choices. Break it up now, or break it up now, but with a huge headache to boost. You've got about five seconds" Watching the two toss and turn, punch, kick and just about use anything they could, Gary seemed at a loss of words for what to do next. Seeing Aidan prepared to end the matter quickly, he motioned to those standing around to clear away. Then he nodded to Aidan to fire the burst since the two did not seem to want to stop. Aidan shrugged and took two shots, watching the bodies go numb on the floor. "You might ask yourself now, punk." he cited jokingly. "Do I feel lucky?" then holstered the phaser and stepped towards the two ODA members. By now the shift on duty had shown up with a security patrol. Gary motioned to the two now laying of the floor, stunned form the phase blast. " When they are able, escort them to sick bay to be checked out. Then take them to the major, let him dole out the punishment." He said rubbing his sore arm. Looking back at Aidan he motioned to the bar. "Now where were we?" he smiled. Walking back to the bar, Gary glanced over and saw a tooth sitting in a nearly finished bowl of French onion soup. {Hrm wonder who that belongs too?} he thought as he continued on his way. -------------------------------------------------- PO1 Gary "I'm the Law" Williams apb. Indy ODA Ops. Specialist USS Chimera & Spc. Aidan "The Peacemaker" Lynch apb. Lynch ODA Eng. Specialist USS Chimera