ST:END303 | "Never be the Same Part 2"

Brie was slumped on the floor of a Risian street, leaning against the wall. Her shirt hung in tatters off her honey coloured body, revealing the black bra she had underneath. Her bare chest moved up and down, breathing heavily.

"So... *¿cómo te llamas?*" she said, looking to the woman next to her.

"*Soy... Isabella...*" came the reply.

"*Soy Gabriella*," Brie said, placing her head on the wall and looking up at the sky on which night was bleeding away into morning. "Where you from Isabella. Earth?"

"*Si...* I am," she nodded. "Spain,"

"*Soy Colombiana,*" Brie explained.

"Ah... explains the accent," Isabella nodded.

The pair sat in silence, as Risian security moved around them, ushering people out of a club.

"You okay?" Brie asked, turning her head to look at the woman. She was around Brie's age, had fairer skin and light brown hair that was tied back into a bun, with a few strands slithering down the sides of her face. Her face was round and her eyes were dark brown, almost black in the dark light.

"I am... yes," she nodded, looking down at herself. "I should ask you that," she added, with a glance at Brie.

Brie chuckled and shook her head lightly. "Nah, I'm fine. Normal Saturday night this,"

Isabella looked at Brie for a moment, before chuckling herself. "I don't doubt it... you handled yourself pretty well,"

"I gave him a fair warning,"

Isabella nodded, looking down at her hands. "I'm... sorry you got dragged into that,"

"Hey," Brie snapped. "Don't you dare apologise. At all. He was at fault. He should be prostrated at our feet begging for mercy,"

"A bit difficult to do from the hospital bed," Isabella said quietly. "I don't think he'll be talking for a while,"

"Good. He had nothing good to say. I should have ripped off his pointy little ears too,"

"Is that a confession of pre-meditated assault?" came another voice, this time belonging to a brown-skinned man, his own shirt unbuttoned, but with a badge hanging on a chain around his neck. He took a puff from his smoke pen and exhaled, sending crimson coloured smoke into the brightening sky.

"Inspector Ramachandra," Brie said, her lips narrowing.

"Inspector Wallace-Singh now," he corrected. "I remarried,"

"What, your previous husband couldn't stand your bullshit? Or was it your lover? I can't get them straight in my head now,"

The Inspector crouched, staring Brie in the eyes. "Give me a reason to stun your sorry ass and toss you into the brig,"

"You need a reason for that? Thought Fed-Sec just bagged and tagged," she said, holding his gaze.

"You're an insolent w..."

Brie interrupted him by holding up her combadge in his face. "Sorry Inspector, you were saying? Something about insolence?"

The Inspector looked at the badge and then scowled, standing. "I'll have you one day, Valencia. Mark my words. I will see you rot in prison,"

"I've been marking those words for ten years now," Brie scoffed. "In that time my mother has risen two ranks above you and you're still down on the ground responding to drunk and disorderlies,"

The Inspector pointed a finger at Brie, but then curled it back into his fist. "Witnesses agree with you," he muttered. "Now get out of here before I write you up for antisocial behaviour,"

"Ouch, that's got to hurt your masculinity. Go grab a horga'hn, ask around for some jamaharon. I'm sure someone will debase enough to give you momentary pleasure,"

The Inspector took a few steps forward in anger, before stopping. "Sod off, Valencia," he stated and then turned to leave. "Okay folks, let's get out of here," he hollered at his staff and disappeared into a transporter beam. The other security guards began to follow suit, one after the other, until the street was empty and silent.

"Didn't know you were Starfleet," Isabella said.

"MACO. Not Starfleet," Brie corrected.

"Ah... Well, that explains everything... He a friend of yours?" she asked, nodding at the empty space where the Inspector had dematerialised.

"Had a few run-ins, yeah," Brie nodded.

"I don't like him. He was insinuating it was my fault," she muttered, again looking down at her lap.

"He's a dick," Brie shook her head and then gingerly climbed to her feet, wincing slightly. "Where you staying?" she asked, holding out a hand for Isabella.

Isabella took the hand, standing slowly. "You sure you're okay? And I'm down the bay,"

"I'll walk you home. And yeah, I'm fine. Like I said, normal Saturday night... or Sunday morning," she says, looking up at the sky, now a light blue.

"Thanks... I appreciate it," Isabella said, and the pair walked down the quiet Risian streets. "On leave or something?"

"Yeah, something like that," she nodded. "You? Come here for the jamaharon?" she smirked, looking at her walking companion.

Isabella chuckled lightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "No... not that. I'm writing a book. I came for some inspiration,"

"What kind of book?"

"A detective thriller,"

"Sounds exciting," Brie smiled.

"You think so? Doesn't seem to be a market for it these days,"

"Going to make it into a holonovel?"

Isabella looked at Brie. "Everyone wants a holonovel these days! That's the problem,"

"You know what everyone does in those novels, right?"

Isabella sighed. "Yeah,"

Brie smirked. "Nah, I'm totally interested. You need help? My mother works in Fed Sec. They're not all crap like Inspector Dumbass back there,"

Isabella smiled. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind picking your brains," she said, reaching for her PADD. "Exchange contacts?"

Brie reached into her back pocket and got her PADD out, tossing her contact details over at Isabella. "Sure,"

"Captain Gabriella Valencia, MACO Team 32, U.S.S. Endeavour, right?" Isabella confirmed.

Brie smirked. "Yeah, that's me,"