SD 05/01/04 - "Catfight" What the hey was Lera thinking? Correction, was she thinking at all?
On the other hand, findings by Cosmos suggest she may not have been acting entirely under her free will.
It's been several hours since I beamed back from Risa after being banned from the place. Before and after, I heard various rumors. What I did know was that virtually all the Freedom's crew on the planet had been arrested either for something related to a riot that broke out at the auction after I was thrown out. One rumor stated she was beamed off, another that she was arrested for "lewd & lacivious conduct" (considering what's acceptable on the planet, I'd hate to think what would get you arrested that way). Last seeing Dammers shirtless, handcuffed, and being dragged by some wild girl by a leash, rumors abounded about the circumstances of how he was found when arrested, not all fit for tender imaginations.
It turned out that the Risan Chief of Police had been serving only for several months. His previous assignment, New California. While he didn't care about Risa's different outlook, and in fact rumor has it he considers the job a kind of working vacation, the fact we were the ones who got him booted from his last job obviously did not go unnoticed by him. To him, us being of the Freedom was enough, and he used the riot as an excuse to get us all booted. Most of us took this in stride. The normaly passive Lott, although (s)he expressed relief from being taken out of a lousy date, (s)he still plans to sue for harassment.
But the real concern was what happened before the auction, and something that happened afterwards. At the meeting called to discuss happenings, Tara accused Lera of pounding Lynx on the head with a fire estinguisher! In a she-said/she-said flury of charges Lera did not deny it but insisted Lynx had tourtured her and was about to attack her, "You deserved to be hit with a fire estinguisher!" I asked Melvin Orlan if he saw anything, but he was silent.
Lynx and Lera have been at it before, but this marks a new low, and just after they seemed to have reconciled too. Not only am I surprised at Lera being angry enough to do such a thing, but the brazenness she went about it - completely ignoring that this was both the counselor and the Captain's daughter, that she was pregnant, and that there were witnesses. She persisted with her claim about being threatened with immediate attack even when Lynx promently showed the scars, which were on the back of her head.
What made the assault more startling was what happened because of it. Lynx nearly lost her kids! Tarra made some comment in the meeting that confused the rest of us. Then Cosmos arrived, and explained that Lynx was beamed out as the concussion she recieved caused her to miscary. He was about to beam two out into an incubator/artifical womb, but Tarra voulenteered to carry them. While it was not a great surprise she'd be willing to do something like that, it was still very generous on her part. Lynx likes to think of her as her "sister," and I imagine this will make her feel moreso. Lera seemed oblivious to it. Dammers, he went though the horror of news his kids nearly died, to the relief that they didn't, to rage at Lera who caused this, to the "now what do I do?" of the news a second woman was carrying some of his kids. While some guys would be proud over such a thing, Dammers was stunned and embarased. As Cosmo put it, "this is definitely an obfusciated situation."
Cosmos had some other news, news that could keep Lera from court-martial. It seems there's been a virus going around on Risa that's been causing cases of Pon Pharr among female Vulcans. Because Romulans are closely related, it could have affected her. Lera, however, denyed it. She insisted a recording of the incident would clear her. I called the place where it happened, a "Kinks & Giggles" adult novetly shop (leave it to those two to have a fight there), but I was sent a message in response that the recording and backup were sent to Starbase 13 upon request - Ironbottom. Lera insisted we call him for the tape, even though I tried to tell her about the consequences if he found out about it. He'd not only send her up the river, but use the incident against the rest of us.
I don't know what makes Lera think she can get out of this so easily. Is she setting herself up for a laywer to declare her insaine? I forgot to mention the incident where some blue movie actor sent the robo-whips after her, but with the miscariage I was so shocked I forgot. In any event, she was confined to quarters pending a medical investigation. She could very well get a psychologial test as well, possibly a repeat of the infamous "Psych Test" from Academy screening. Lynx and Tarra are also under light duties and medical observation.
In any event, Lera couldn't have picked a better way to dig herself in. Half the Bridge Crew is going to be furious at her for a long time, and the rest of us will be looking over our shoulders before doing anything for her.
To top it off, a number of crewmen recieved last-minute transfers. To make up for it, the rest of us will be pulling double shifts. On top of the way we left Risa, and the frustrations of the Bridge Crew are likely to work their way down, this is going to be one sullen ship. Plus we have the threat of what happens if Ironbottom gets a hold of that tape hanging over us.
Maybe Lynx & Dammers' wedding will help lighten things up. At this point, we really need a morale boost.