<snip>

Casela clearly could tell how annoyed he was with her. She mentally shrugged, apparently he was no better than Noa. She had a job, a reponsibility to the ship and crew, and that required reporting to Ryder. If he didn’t like it…well she’d do something else, she wasn’t sure what yet, but she’d figure it out. Refusing to roll her eyes, she passed the padd with the altered program on it. “NE Johnston here, tampered with the program on the KAI-9. Hence the malfunction earlier. He’s not under my department, he’s yours and Manhattans. I don’t believe he meant to do major damage, I’m not even sure he knew what he was doing. Perhaps he needs a better outlet for his creative talents. However, this has put the KAI-9 several hours or days, depending on how bad the program messed him up, out of commission. Since he is a significant tool for the RTF to use, I thought you should know Cmdr.” Casela met his gaze straight on, she was calm and to the point.

Taking the PADD dubiously Ryder looked over the data presented to him, scrolling through as he deciphered the code and listening to her as she presented her case in regards to the NE, though his annoyance had been visible when he entered it was washing away as he saw the issue at hand and how it was more passion for her job and for the Mech which made her seem to hot-headed, she was still hot-headed but Ryder didn’t mind that so much along as it was directed appropriately which she seemed to be trying to do.

Johnston fidgeted, “I’m sorry Cmdr. We don’t have a lot to do down here, we…I thought it would be funny for a prank, and I could fix him later. I didn’t realize I was messing with his command protocols. I guess I didn’t know what I was doing.”

He paused as the NE, Johnston spoke his eyes leveling at his though his head never moved from its position of reading the PADD, his eyebrow raised and then, “I appreciate your apology Mr Johnestone, thought let’s refrain from doing anything like this in the future, shall we? There are for more resourceful ways you can spend your creative mind than childish pranks, see the duty roster leader and see where best suits your abilities. Clearly sitting down here in RTF isn’t feeding your creative mind enough so I want you to begin dual trading. Dismissed Mr Johnston”

He waited for the man to leave before then handing the PaDD back to Casela. “I think Mr. Johnston has learned his lesson, no need to make the situation any more volatile than necessary wouldn’t you agree, Lieutenant.” Ryder caught himself short, he didn’t actually consider her volatile and felt the emotions of Noa affect his decision making and grimaced.

Casela took the PaDD and set it back on the table. Volitile? No one in that room had been volitile. Angery, or certain, but volitile? The cmdr made her want to be volitile. What was his problem? She was starting to get the impression that Ryder had been spoon fed his position and didn’t really earn it. Or maybe who ever he was before he was joined had earned it, but apparently power hungry, cowardly, sniveling Noa and Ryder weren’t two different people.

Casela raised a single brow at Ryder. She turned to step out of the bay, pausing as she came up beside him. “I’m not nearly as volatile as Noa would have you believe, Cmdr. Johnston put this ship at risk with his games. The AARM is our first option for encounters with an anomaly and now he needs reprogramming,” her voice was low, whispering. She looked up and held his gaze. “I thought, as XO you were to be informed of anything that could put the ship at risk. Whether on purpose or by accident. If you prefer, Sir, I’ll make sure to leave you be in future.” She stepped fully out of the bay at the point. Manhattan had all the information now. If Ryder took the time to notice, he’d see Casela had NO weapons on her at all.

Lt. Synthi-er, CNS/KAI9 Handler
OOC: Fixing a mistake from copy and paste. Sorry

Ryder turned faced Capt Manhattan, “Thankyou Captain I hope this type of behavior won’t be a common attribute within the RTF or my report won’t be so forgiving.” Casela had just done one of the few things he found utterly unbecoming of a senior officer and nodding to Manhattan left him to chase her down. Ryder had very few gears to be ground, to most he was relaxed and down to Earth but whether it was Noa or just that Casela had a chip on her shoulder he wasn’t sure but walking out as she did rubbed him the wrong way.

“Hey! Hey wait just a second!” Then he joined the XO running behind the Lieutenant What a crap of a day!
Lucky for him fitness was a thing and he had no difficulty to get over the Commander. As they both saw the silhouette of the woman, the Captain quick reflexes guaranteed him to notice she had indeed no weapons on her and a sigh of relief came out of his tired mouth “Commander, she-.” But then he was abruptly interrupted again.

“Lieutenant!” He said finally seeing her frame further up the corridor, he hadn’t yet noticed she wasn’t carrying weapons. “Will you for a moment take a moment’s Pause.” He continued to follow her and added, “Don’t let me make that an order.”

• Commander Ryder, XO

At his shouted “Lieutenant” she ignored, then he asked to pause and for some insane reason, his annoyance made her want to laugh. Finally she slowed down, and then she turned huffing in annoyance, “No need.” I wouldn’t listen anyway. She resisted the urge to give him a very derogatory salute. She stopped herself because being totally honest with herself, it was easy to goad him, and she enjoyed doing it. But it served no purpose. And what made her mad, and really set her off, she wanted to … nope nope nope, she wasn’t going there. She cursed under her breath, he was good looking. “Did you need something else from me? Or is Noa rearing his ugly perverse little head?”

Lt. Synthi-er

“Casela!” He shouted reaching the Lieutenant after a quick pause nearby a turn. He was mad, he was confused. He didn’t literally knew what to say or what to do… I wish I could sleep right now…
“Lieutenant Synthi-er, please shut your damn mouth and Commander,” he then turned around “You may perhaps recognize that what the Lieutenant said is right. What kind of person are you to leave such security breach question unsolved! He need a punishment than being scolded for a ‘joke’. And perhaps this is my wing! Lord.” He angered “I am freaking tired for today, I can absolutely resist whatever you want: punishments, dirty away missions, executing lurid and smelly stuff. But I swear, you two, that I am a damn demon if you take away my only hours of rest. Now, I don’t give a damn nothing for your reports, with all honesty sir, I know my mens are good and can guarantee the safety of the ship. If you may leave me make my job and punish whoever ‘jokes’ around with RTF instrumentation I would be grateful, Commander Ryder.”
His derogatory tone wasn’t at all something of his ‘normal’ character but perhaps it was more than a ticked tone behavior. Indeed he then realized he was harsh, a lot harsh to both of them and as result he scratched his head looking down and holding both hands on his flanks shyly.

Casela looked at Manhattan and bit the inside of her cheek, she obviously found this whole thing amusing on some level, but since the only part of her that showed amusement was her eyes, they really couldn’t say anything to her. She was going to enjoy work with Manhattan. Thank the four gods she didn’t answer to me, unless they were on assignment though. He was tired? Yeah they all were, get used to it tough boy, was all she could think.

“Captain.” Ryder said calmly holding up his hand, “Firstly as executive officer aboard this ship, all disciplinary issues fall onto my lap. I was aboard this ship before and I am sure I will be aboard this ship after the RTF has been here, you are guests and I will treat you as such but the moment I believe you and your personnel are incapable of your jobs you will be the first to know followed by the Captain and then Starfleet intelligence. In my experience, and I have ALOT of experience outright punishment for first offenses and for something that didn’t hurt anyone in my book is a minor, he hardly put anyones lives at risk and it only highlights the vulnerabilities of the AARM unit. What I do disagree with the clear lack of discipline within the RTF ranks, I won’t tell you how to apprehend an anomaly so don’t tell me how to deal with this ship’s personnel or the safety of this crew which I have known for years. If you wish to discipline the crewman further by all means blow your load.” He turned to the lieutenant now.

Oh the testosterone in this corridor was thick. Why? Couldn’t section 31 just have sent her to a penal colony instead of this ship?

“Meet me at the port side turbo lift on deck twenty-nine in thirty minutes, that is an order and bring gym ware.” Ryder closed off his mind now, he didn’t want her reading his mind he had allowed it to go on for too long, Noa did have some useful experiences even if he was insufferable.

“As you say, Sir” Oh why? Yeah she knew what was on the port side of deck 29. And now all her weapons were locked up in the locker under HIS access code. All because she wanted to impress upon him she was trying, as he’d asked. She cursed in several languages to herself. Great, he had a point to prove, and she had work to do. She hated this political crap. She was going to take a dive out an airlock rather than listen to this.

“Anything more to add Captain, Lieutenant?” It was a rhetorical question but in case they did he waited his arms crossed.

• Commander Ryder Raauhl, XO

Casela didn’t way a word, she’d probably get back handed by both of them.
Lt. Synthi-er

“No, sir.” The Captain replied “Casela, in my office after the… whatever the XO is wanting to do.” He did not added anything, he just gave a be aware look at the Lieutenant and a Go to hell sight to the XO. He then turned his boots round 180 degree to the aft and he walked towards the nearest turbolift. Inside he was alone and was more than pissed, let’s say indignant “not even on my deck.”

Beside the arguing, Erve knew that the AARM was now vulnerable, even with the thousand of security features that the RTF engineers implemented. The next morning, he promised himself, he would have engaged the CE to improve the locks and build a new security grid around the iso-chips battery.
“Pathetic…”

M. Capt. Erve Manhattan - RCO