Diplomatic Relations

Captain Jon Phanan nodded and smiled in turn with Lieutenant Barker and Ensign Mason as they were introduced to the Nuan Ambassador Maul. As Commander Harris and the Ambassador passed, the smile drifted from Jon's face. He hated diplomatic functions, not to mention the uniform he had to wear as well. Where all of the Fleeties wore their standard dress white uniforms, he wore a uniform with blue slacks which had a red stripe running down each leg on the outside, in remembrance of the classic Marine uniforms. The shirt was also black, and long sleeved, coming up to a turtleneck where a set of double bars were worn on each side of the collar. Over the shirt, a deep olive green jacket was worn with proper insignia and ribbons where needed. Jon had won two medals. A Purple Heart and the Medal of Valour. They hung from the right side of his uniform jacket, above the pocket, and below the single row of ribbons. The Marine standard communicator that was worn by the marines at formal occasions, instead of the regular Starfleet communicator, was hooked onto his left sleeve, by his shoulder. It was a type of small armband that you simply tapped to activate, and tapped to deactivate, just as the regular Starfleet communicator pin.

As Jon scanned the room, his first priority was still security on the ship. He had a small ear piece in his ear, monitoring ship communications. Nothing new was happening which kind of upset him. Right now, he could've gone for some sort of action. As he looked around the room, he noticed that his two marines seemed to be socialising well. Especially with female Nuan guests. Jon grinned slightly.

~Just showing off for the ladies,~ Jon thought to himself. ~They should be keeping their minds on their jobs. I told them they could come if they acted as security at the party, not to goof off.~ He shook his head slightly, and looked around the room again. Nothing. He crossed the room, and made it over to where Jack Truman and Robbie Gleason were talking.

"So I said to the guy 'Hey ! Just what do you think you're doing ?! That's an EPS conduit, not a replicator !'" Jack Truman smiled, as the two Nuan delegates laughed. The two females had to be in their early twenties. With all of the female Nuan delegates in the room, to Jack and Robbie this place was known as a "target rich environment". Jon couldn't help but look at some of the Nuan ambassadors as well. Many seemed to catch his attention. However, now he had to get back to business. As he approached, Robbie and Jack snapped to attention right next to each other.

"Excuse me ladies." Jon said, looking at the two Nuan delegates.

"Of course." One replied smiling. They both smiled and giggled, as they walked off.

Jon then turned his attention back over to the two. First, he addressed Jack. "Just what in the hell do you think you're doing ?"

"Sir ! I didn't think I was doing anything wrong sir." Jack had a somewhat confused/scared look on his face.

"Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong." Jon smiled. "I just wanted to see how'd you react to that one. At ease, both of you." They both exhaled deeply, as if a weight had been taken off their shoulders. They then relaxed, and went back to a normal stance. "However, I still want you two to keep your minds on your jobs. I let you guys come to this party as security officers, and to make sure nothing horrible happened. I still expect you to carry those orders out. However, feel free to walk around and socialise.

"Thank you sir. I'm sure we'll have no problems with that at all." Robbie Gleason spoke up with a smile. He then looked over at Jack. "Let's go see if we can find Leara and Shaloa again." He noticed Jon giving him a mock stern look. "After we do a small security sweep of the room." The two grinned and walked off.

Jon smiled, and shook his head. He then activated his combadge to send a message through to Robbie's earpiece saying that he was heading towards the Security Office, and that he was leaving him in charge. Then, Jon deactivated the combadge, and made his way out of the Lounge doors.

As Jon entered the brig he noticed that his two "guests" were still there. One had his arm in a sling, the other a big lump on his head, from where Jon threw his knife at him. As Jon walked over to the table, he unzipped the front of his dress uniform jacket, and took it off and slung it over the chair. He affixed a normal Starfleet communicator to his shirt, and then looked at the two Klingons. The one with the broken arm sat, looking down at the floor. The other one, in a different cell, was asleep on the bench/bed that was in each brig cell.

Jon walked up to the sleeping Klingon's cell, and pressed a button on the touchpad. A horribly loud klaxon sound started to sound in the Klingon's cell. He immediately rose to attention, disgruntled. "Wake up sleeping beauty." Jon said coldly. "I hope you find your accommodations quite nice. Now, it's down to business. Who do you work for ?.

The Klingon gave Jon a menacing stare. "I wouldn't tell you human."

"Really ?" Jon said, as he walked back over towards the desk in the brig. He tapped a button on the desk's console to have an emergency security team waiting outside the doors to the brig if he needed them. "Why's that ?"

"You can not know of the Leader's plans." He snarled.

Leader hmm.... Jon contemplated for a second, then continued. "I tell you what you Klingon animal. You and me, right here. You win, I have you transported off this ship, I win, you tell me everything I want to know."

The Klingon's eyes and ears perked up. The chance at freedom was appealing. He looked the Marine over with vengeance thinking that this would be his time for revenge. When he beat this pathetic human, he would be able to carry out the last remnants of his plan. " Your proposal appeals to me."

Jon nodded, and pressed a button on the desk. The forcefield dropped, and the Klingon immediately jumped out of his cell, going into a fighting stance. Jon jumped onto and off the desk, aligning himself across from the Klingon warrior. The two sized each other over. Finally, the Klingon made his move first, charging at the Marine.

Jon moved slightly to the side, and caught the Klingon in a headlock. He gave two quick blows to the Klingon's torso, and pushed him aside. Then, did a roundhouse kick to the head. The Klingon staggered back a step and regained his stability, then lunged. He caught Jon in the gut, and drove him to the floor. One hand held Jon's shoulder in place, while the other gave Jon a quick punch to the side of the face, and another in the chest. With his free hand, Jon gave the Klingon a massive backhand, rolling the Klingon off him.

Rubbing his chin, Jon rose again, and gave the Klingon a kick to the gut, and then a swift uppercut, driving the Klingon into a nearby bulkhead. The Klingon hit hard, and then fell to the ground. Jon walked over, and put the Klingon in a sitting position.

"Do you admit defeat?" Jon said, preparing to strike again.

"You are the victor," the Klingon replied, disgustedly.

"Now tell me who you work for!" Jon yelled

"One of your people. An Admiral."

"Name ?"

"I don't know."

"NAME! !!" Jon was losing his temper.

"I don't know."

Jon then noticed something running along the Klingon's neck. It appeared to be a very faint line. Almost like a scar. Holding the Klingon against the wall, he looked at the Klingon in the other cell. He had one too. Jon reached at the throat of the Klingon and grabbed a huge hunk of what felt like flesh. He then tore upwards, and sure enough, it was a latex face mask. The mask was removed to reveal a human officer. "Who in the hell are you ?"

"Name, Mark Jazek. Rank, First Lieutenant, Starfleet Marine Corps. Service number 94023."

"Who do you work for ?"

"Name, Mark Jazek. Rank, First Lieutenant, Starfleet Marine Corps. Service number 94023." Mark looked forward blankly, only giving off the standard information that each Marine gives away if captured by the enemy.

"Damn it." Jon said quietly. He grabbed the Lieutenant by the probably stolen Klingon uniform and tossed him back in his cell. He then activated the security forcefield. Jon then checked his jaw for anything he could sense was broken. He had to hand it to the Starfleet Marine Corps, they were some of the few people that actually knew how to throw punches. Sensing that nothing was broken, he tapped his Starfleet communicator. "Commander Harris, please come in."

[Harris here, go ahead Captain.]

"Sir, we have a slight problem."

[How so ?]

"I'll explain when I get up there. Phanan out." Jon closed the channel and looked over to Mark in his cell. He sat there, staring blankly at Jon. Jon shook his head, and grabbed his dress uniform jacket, and a PADD, and left the brig. He then instructed the security officers standing outside the door to make sure that anything the Marine says is recorded, and to make sure that they are in no way allowed to leave the brig. He then made his way to the Bridge.