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Fascinating. [He gave the box a lazy glance and shrugged.] Makes sense. 

I'm a tactical officer just like you. [Piper raised an eyebrow.] I'm honestly surprised we haven't met already. 

Yeah yeah, very fucking crazy world, and sad, and terrible, but isn’t that just damn nice, [she drawled, frowning down at her box before side-eying him.] These lil fellas? They’re just my hobby. My job requires bigger weapons. 

Which leads me to the next question. What exactly do you do in this huge tincan we call a ship?

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[Piper frowned momentarily, and then sighed.] Well, then both of our agendas got screwed up. Crazy world, eh? [He jumped at her next words.] Ah, yes, sorry. [Piper moved quickly to the side and nodded.] 

So you're not going to go play with your weapons? Really? 

Oh?

Well I don’t know about you, but I was planning on having a little bit of me time with my weapons. But now I guess not. [Nevertheless she smirked again, and resumed her path, her boots clanging against the floor.] So you gonna stand there blocking everyone’s way or what, boy?

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[Piper glanced down, still chuckling under his breath. Don is looking at him oddly but he hardly cares.] I know, I know. [He shrugged.] I was. But I, um... got a bit distracted, as you might imagine. And besides, I'm in no real rush.

I aim for that, [Don replied, adjusting down the pieces on the box, letting her fingers run through a small cartridge that had a scratch on it. Nor from the fall, God no, otherwise this Jack Piper wouldn’t even be laughing. Speaking of which, what the fuck? A moment before he’s all serious and shit. Next thing Don realizes, he’s laughing like a goddamn loonie.

Maybe he is crazy, she thought. It wouldn’t be the first case. Wouldn’t be the last one. Huh.]

I thought you were in a hurry. Or, why else would you slam against people like you some sort of damn goat? 

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[Piper eyed Don warily and then grinned.] Right then. [He barely flinched when the gun fired right next to his head and broke through the wall.] I'd say that's a... fair compromise. [Fuck, he didn't need this right now, to be agreeable with the woman who just had a gun aimed at his face. And yet here he was.]

[Piper crossed his arms, nodding. is eyes drifted to her rifle.] Nice weapon. [The compliment was genuine, though his natural sarcasm level was so high that he had no idea whether the intention would be clear or not. Then, with a slight laugh and a joking tone, he added,] You could kill someone with that thing.

[Don’s eyes narrowed slightly, expression unwavering as she eyed him carefully. It got harder to read him. Was he scared or angry, was he going to attack back or haul his ass out of there? Whatever happened, at least Don had the upper hand for now. The finger on the trigger paused midway. What an asshole.] 

Well, Lieutenant Jack Piper, [the name was drawled, playfully, then she smirked and pushed his forehead further away,] back the fuck off. You may know my name and my rank, but that doesn’t mean shit at the end of the day if you’re gonna be gettin’ on my bad side, now, does it.

So get this through your motherfucking skull. [She pulled the gun away, but in the blink of an eye, raised it again and suddenly shot at the wall behind Piper, the barrel this close to his ear.] 

You don’t talk shit to me, I don’t shoot you. And who knows, we might get along just fine.

[mentr-piper]

[Piper's eyes widened a fraction-only for a second- before his expression returned to it's neutral look. Not the time to act afriad, and he wasn't, not really. But with all his history, he was trained to be on guard, wary. It was instinct. That was the difference between people who trained with the main empire, and those who worked for Section 31. Their work was too secret to be found out. They were trained to flee rather and fight, for risk of information being extracted from them.]

Look. Put down the gun, and everything's fine. we can both just... walk away. [He sighed.] Lieutenant Jack Piper. [He figured it best to leave off the 'Commander' bit. Never good to tell someone that you have a high ranking when they have a gun aimed at your head.]  And I know your name already. Don Porter. [He thought for a minute.] Tactical Officer, right? [Same as me. Probably about the same age too. We're getting along wonderfully... Memorizing the faces and positions of the entire crew was a good idea after all, he figured.] 

Yeah, that’s right. [A familiar reaction, one she could get used to and the one she’d expected since she had taken out her gun in the first place. He was angry, that much was obvious. Don’s fingers came to rest upon the trigger, and slowly, began pressing on it.]

No. You know what I regret? Not having taken a turbolift because I thought it’d be better to walk. I wouldn’t have had to deal with your bitch ass attitude. But here we are. Who are you?

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Oh, my... apologies. [Piper straightened his jacket, looking around. The lazy grin on his face went away, and was replaced by a much harder stare. With the barrel against his forehead, Piper tensed up, his past military experience rushing back to him. His eyes narrowed, and though he tried to keep his voice light, it was tinted with coldness and anger.]

Don't try anything. You'll regret it. 

Don’t you ever call me that. [She raised the gun again, the barrel pressed against his forehead, keeping him away. The smile was gone. Honey, like she was some fucking dumb ass girl, like she was someone who’d let anyone else fuck around with her, who was this asshole anyway? So much for hoping her day would turn out good.] 

You think I wouldn’t have pulled this trigger? You think I won’t pull this fucking trigger? I dunno why you shouldn’t. I ain’t the one kneeling.

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[Piper laughed, a cheerful look on his face.] Oh, but I do own the place. [You just don't know it yet. Piper smiled at her, his expression careless.] Oh, honey. If I really didn't want to pick your shit up, I would be heading back to my quarters now and you'd be still standing here holding that gun wondering what the hell just happened. But I have time. All the time in the world. So I figured, why not? [Or you didn't want to get killed. Didn't want to fuck up again. Piper narrowed his eyes. Shut up.]

Am I pleased with myself? I believe I asked you first, but since you were so polite and asked me as well, I might as well say I am. Why shouldn't I be? 

Uh huh.

You think you got some balls to be strutting ‘round like you own the damn place but they shrivel up and drop as soon as you’ve got a barrel of a gun pointed at you. Might as well pick ‘em up too. [Don watched him kneel. The things then in the box, her eyebrow went up. And she smiled, even if the fiery gaze had yet to fade away.] 

There, wasn’t so hard was it? You tell me, you pleased with yourself?

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Excuse me? [Piper groaned inwardly. He didn't need this.] I was having a really good day until you came along. [He looked back and forth.] Oh come on. You're not actually going to shoot. Stop pointing that thing at me. 

[But the look in the woman's eyes was serious, and deadly.]

Right, okay. [Not worth getting shot over, anyway. Not the right time to die, and certainly not at the hands of this girl. Keeping his eyes fixed on the barrel of the gun, Piper knealt down and picked up the things she had dropped.] Here you go. [He slammed them back into the box, locking eyes with her.] Pleased with yourself?

[She was actually in a very good mood, having bribed a security officer for some of that not-very-legal brand of powder someone had gotten their hands on, then spending several hours stuck in the firing range. Fiddling with the malfunctioning phasers and rifles, watching whoever was practicing, the usual stuff.

But that was no real workplace for her, and she needed some of the spare scopes that were in another deck. So she left, a small box with weapon parts in her hands.

And then someone bumped into her.

Don’s jaw dropped in astoundment, some of the pieces in her box falling onto the floor. They were hardly important, and the fall wouldn’t have damaged a thing. But she’d be damned if she was going to let the motherfucker just walk away like nothing had happened.

Bad thing was —and so many people had already told her throughout her life— she did things without really thinking. Shoot first, ask later, regret until very very later. She had yanked her gun from the holster on her thigh before she even realized, and pointed it at him.]

Pick those up.

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Everything appears to be in order. [Piper took one last look around the bridge from the doorway and turned away. Not the time to be distracted by petty disputes among the crew. The time was drawing nearer- time to dispose of Jim Kirk like he was supposed to. And with the captain out of the way, he could quickly take over the ship. It would be easy after that.

But not now. Now he had to act normal. Like a regular crew member. As if he hadn't been specifically assigned. What a joke. He needed to get back to his quarters and-] 

Watch it! [Piper didn't even look up to see who it was he bumped into. it hardly mattered in fact.] 

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And one day, there's this chilling sense of somehow, you're dead - but you aren't. You know that you aren't. Are you?

I don't know. But somehow, somewhere... I am.

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Any threats? Any opportunities? Any allies?

Threats? Yes, there are plenty of threats. I need to deal with Doctor McCoy- and soon. Opportunities, however.... if you're talking about moving up in rank, regaining my position as captain, then no. That is not my goal here whatsoever. And I have no allies. I work alone. Although perhaps Lee Anderly could be of some use.

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Because the life of the wicked should be made brief, for the rest of us death would be a relief.

We all deserve to die!

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-whispers- Bad Wolf.

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[he gives Bones an amused grin as the Doctor threatens him, and simply steps back as he picks up his things.] 

Very well. Until next time, Doctor.

It seems someone needs to remind you on you’re manners, Mr.Piper. 

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and I had little items at my disposal. No, I plan to dispose of your in a much slower drawn out manner. Wait for you to come crawling to the Sickbay, or land you there myself. It isn’t very hard to lace food with arsenic, darlin’.

[Bones flashes him a quick grin before reaching down to pick up the few items himself, making sure his eyes are on the other as he does so.] I’d dance on your tiptoes for the time bein’.

[mentr-piper]

So did you ever let one go?

Of course.