Paul heard the doors to the brig open, then close again. He put it down to the change of shift at first, but he felt a presence outside his cell, and he rolled over to see Kassia standing beyond the forcefield.
"Kassia! What are you doing ere?"
"I thought I'd come see you," she said softly. "How are you doing?" Her green eyes reflected her concern.
"Ow am I doing... I'm in zhe bloody brig Kassia! Ow do you sink I'm doing ah?!"
"I would imagine not too good . . . I wasn't told what happened . . ." she replied. "Just that you were here . . ."
"I would sink zhat zhe captain would ave wanted zhis kept quiet. Dammit!! Zhe Captain wanted a zurvey of zhat planet. Zhat was what I waz doin, but zhat zecurity chief waz taking iz job a little too zeriouzly. I ad to take matters into ma own ands.. and.. and now, ere I am... stuck in zhis bloody cell for ten days!" He stood up andstarted pacing back and for.
"What happened on the survey mission?" she asked, feeling his anger and frustration as if they were her own emotions.
"Zhere was an ancient building I discovered, I wanted to explore it, Andersen wouldn't ave let me. So I eaded off wivout iz permission and I activated a commincationz jammer, zo e couldn't contact zhe Arizona. I alzo turned on a transport inibitor zo I couldn't be beamed back. I waz juzt determined for once to do zomething right for zhe Captain. Ezpecially after I screwed up on B'aku.. I guez I juzt did singz zhe wrong way...."
Kassia sighed with a heavy heart. "Best of intentions do backback . . . " she said, trying her best to comfort him. "I wish there was something I could do . . ."
"You could take zome advice. Don't uze me as a rolemodel of an officer. You'll end up not aving a good time. Juzt.. juzt ztay clear away from me.. I am a zcrew up."
"No you're not, Paul," she replied. "Maybe you need to start making better decision, but you will . . . You're not a screw-up. Certainly not to me . . ."
"Not a screw up ah? Look at ma time on zhe station. First day zhere, I steal a runabout for two weeks. I manage to get ma team killed as well as civilianz and almozt maself on New Canada. I almost get uz killed on B'aku by disobeing orderz. Now, ere I am in zhe brig for again disobeying orderz. Ow can you stand zhere and look at me and say I am not a screw up ah?"
"Because I know what you are capable of. No one else knows the things I do . . . and grant you, nothing is ever for certain . . . but all you need to do is just think things through . . . Once you start doing that, so much will right itself . . . " she said. "But its up to you to do that . . . Great things are instore for you . . . Just don't give up on yourself . . . Take it from someone who can see into the future!" she smiled softly with a wink, trying to lighten the mood.
"Zhe only sing zhat would make me feel any better right now iz to bust some wrinkley Son'a ass!"
An image came to her mind, though it was vague. Paul fighting several son'a along side other members of the crew, only their faces were blurred. She couldn't get a feel for the time either.
"Bide you time, Paul . . . You'll get the chance. I'm certain of it . . ."
Agression was building up inside of Paul. It was only a matter of time before he would snap. Three times since he had been posted at SB901 had ha been almost killed due to Son'a. And it wasn't just him, but htey had hurt his friends too. He had to take revenge on the Son'a soon, or he may find himself taking it out on his friends and comrades.
"I'll make sure of it!" he said with a determined tone