Come on, break it up [Open]

[Mari Anziel]

both of their vid phones went off. Veria's was an annoying song, one of the default programs, and it completely drowned out any other sound in the room. It stopped after about 10 seconds though, indicating that it was only a message rather than a call. Veria pulled it out of her bra and glanced at it. She hardly ever got any messages, perhaps because the rest of the crew didn't trust her with any important information, so this was rather out of the ordinary.

Turned out some idiot had sent everyone on board a link to a live feed. Veria followed it, leaning in closer to try and make out what was on the little screen. The foreground featured a bunch of heads, indicating that the vid phone was being held above a crowd. The focus shifted, and the real action could be seen - a rather violent fistfight. Veria couldn't see their faces, but she what she could make out was that one had two red stripes on the uniform and the other had one. There was audio, too. Something along the lines of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" as well as various encouragements and insults to either side. From the background, it appeared to be in the common area.

"What the hell is this, high school? This is bullshit," Veria muttered to herself, trying to disguise the actual fact that this was proving exactly what the two had just been talking about. She looked over at Mari, likely watching the same thing, and stood up to go. "I might as well go and break it up," she sighed. She assumed, foolishly, that her presence alone would be enough to scatter the gathered crowd, as an authority figure in a schoolyard fight would send everyone running. At the door, she waited for Mari to accompany her out. Even if the SSgt wasn't interested in the fight (which she no doubt would be), as if Veria was going to leave her alone in her quarters.

Bothering with her vid phone when she could overhear what was on the Captain's seemed redundent. Briefly she allowed her brain to consider the situation would quite obviously settle itself out. Someone would win, both would wind up visiting the medic (if one could truly call any of that staff medics) and then be seeing Mari or one of the other guards. But all of that entailed remaining in the Captain's room, and without a party going on, that simply was not something she could stand to do for too much longer.

Her feet picked a spot amongst the floor to settle down to, followed by her torso returning to the upright position. As she did a few pieces of internal circuitry hummed to life, getting her out of her nearly asleep mode and into something that could actually evaluate and terminate situations.

Ready when you are dear she said with a wink before moving out through the doorway. It had been a while since she got to do any true work around here. This would no doubt be a lovely addition to her day. While on thier way to the scuffle she began to plan out just what she would be using to break up this idiomatic situation. These were hostile men committed to a hostile act, endangering nonparticipating crew members. According to regulation 13-5091, she could use whatever she deemed necessary.

Despite the thick nature of the crowd, a portion of it was soon parted far more than wide enough for Mari to pass through. Shouting and cheering still went on from other portions, as well as the fight. That was of course until the first of her legs made it into a visible portion of the fighting ring. It didn't need the rest of her body to follow, that sight enough was all the crowd needed to die down.

For the two men exchanging blows however it would take far more than a leg to catch thier attention. Hands however were more than capable. Hands aimed at faces, with fingers intet upon applying just enough pressure to turn the two men into Mari's own personal rag dolls.

Now that I have EVERYONE'S attention, someone care to explain just what in the hell is going on here? she asked in as calm a tone as possible. Mummbling came from the lips of the two who had been fighting, but due to having a palm pressed somewhat against them, it was hard to make out the words.

[Veria Holt]

Veria followed, hurrying as fast as her high-heeled feet and skirt-encased thighs could handle. Her vidphone was in her hand the whole time, and she could hear its tinny speakers still spouting "Fight! Fight! Fight!" How in the world had a fight broken out on HER ship? It was unthinkable. And it only proved that things were going on aboard the Tenacious VII that were out of her control, as much as she didn't want to admit it.

As the doors to the common area slid open, the cacophony was like a blow. She took a step back, and then a few more forward, and stopped, standing there for a moment at a loss. "Everyone, quiet down!" she shouted at the top of her lungs... and was roundly ignored. "Break it up!" she tried again, and was once more drowned out.

She settled for scurrying after Mari, to keep some semblance of authority. The crowd parted for the intimidating cyborg, but closed behind her almost immediately, leaving Veria to fend for herself around elbows and shoulders. She forced her way through, putting an elbow of her own into a few kidneys here and there, until they reached the center. Mari's palms were already at this point covering the two men's faces, but it didn't stop her from recognizing the one on the left. It was an ensign, Carter something-or-other, a heavily-muscled brute whose brain could use some exercise.

The two were clearly trying to answer Mari's demanded question, but the hands over their mouths were preventing them from giving much more than a "MMKHWMMKmm!" At least it also prevented them from getting at each other's throats again. The crowd around them had ceased their cheering and were now watching the proceedings interestedly. Whenever Veria entered a room, the results were sure to be amusing.

Undaunted, Veria began to pry at the fingers of the staff sergeant, and together with the ensign's own efforts managed to shift the hand far enough for him to blurt out, "I caught him trying to sell one of the guards' weapons!" There was a murmur and a shifting among the crowd. How had one of the guards' weapons fallen into the hands of an ex-con? Or was it more than just one? But this detail was overshadowed immediately when the other man got his lips free, faced his audience with an accusing finger pointed at the ensign. "I was selling it to THIS GUY! He said I was charging too much and wouldn't pay me!" This made things a lot more interesting, and the murmur grew into angry mutterings of conspiracy.

"Settle down!" Veria demanded, and for once people quieted a little to hear what she had to say. The truth was, she hadn't expected a response and didn't have anything prepared. She turned to Mari for assistance, giving her a meaningful eyebrow-raise.