'How do I know you didn't do it?' Vix asked Face.
'It's my ship,' Face replied simply. 'How do I know you didn't?' the two faced each other over the salon table. The others had been searched and placed in crew quarters - not their own, but someone else's.
'I, ah, have an alibi?' the Devaronian said sheepishly.
Face narrowed his eyes. 'Who?'
'Uh,' Vix looked away and scratched his horn cuticles. 'So we're both lieutenants,' he started.
'Tarriq!' Face exclaimed, shocked. Well, he thought quickly, not too shocked. He sighed. 'How long?'
'Let's just say he liked my physical,' Vix smirked.
'Force,' Face muttered, covering his face in his hands. Is everyone in this outfit so unprofessional? he mused. 'I guess it's my fault. I picked a team of people who aren't exactly known for sticking to the rules. And I haven't exactly been strict with any of you.'
'I guess now isn't a great time to mention that me and Ka'iu-'
'Stop.'
'Just flirting-'
'Stop. Talking.'
'-For now.'
Face slumped in his chair. He did not need relationship issues to complicate matters. He shook his head. 'Okay,' he said, defeated. 'Talk to me. I have to hear what's going on with my crew.'
'Welllll Tarrik and I are both happy to be open in our pursuits of love, wherever it comes from, and I think Ka'iulani is open to the idea of it, too. She knows about us,' Vix added hastily. 'And I was thinking of asking her to-'
'Okay,' Face held his hand up. 'I don't need to know any more. You're saying you have an alibi for the moments immediately before the shooting?'
'Yep!'
'Not so cheerful.'
'Sorry. Yes. Yes sir.'
Face stood and left the salon, Vix following silently after, stepping around the blood outside the door, took the left branch of the trident shaped corridor intersection, heading for the medbay. At the entrance, Face directed Vix to stay outside.
'How are things looking, Doc?' asked Face quietly, as if the sounds alone would hurt Fenn. He stood beside Ka'iulani, who was sat beside the Fenn, who was laying on a makeshift operating table. He lifted a hand to give a reassuring squeaze of her shoulder, then realised that she was probably sterilised to help, and thought better of it.
Tarrik took a deep, steadying breath, his hands hovering over Fenn's wound. 'I'm trying to stabilise them, but the trauma - a point blank shot to the stomach. Their liver is mostly gone. Stomach. Intestines. The shock - fierfek,' he swore. 'I need you to do something for me.'
'Name it,' said Face at once.
'Turn the engines off.'
Face couldn't believe his ears. 'You're going to have to run that by me again.'
'The vibrations from the engines are too much, and this is delicate work,' Tarrik looked up at face, his gaze steady, his brow shining with sweat. 'I'm used to operating on capital ships. Military ships with dampening fields that meant no vibrations whatsoever,' Tarrik held out a hand between them, his laser scalpel reflecting the surrounding light. His fingers were steady, the handle didn't move - but his hand swayed in time to the thrumming of the engines. 'I need to be as precise as possible, I need to do this to the best of my ability. But the dampening fields of the Nest aren't military grade. I'm making sloppy mistakes. I need them off.'
