Wartime Pranks
Posted on October 21st, 2015 by T'Lira

Edward was clearly annoyed again. T’Lira could hear him swearing in… was that Klingon? Elena and Kyrembril were discussing something quietly and the other ensigns on their team were either asleep or cleaning their weapons. A few lieutenants wandered about and a lieutenant commander kept watch from above. The team CO, Commander Shtharssh, stalked around, his tail swishing as he muttered to himself.

“Elena. Elena.”

“Huh? What’s up, ‘Lira?”

Instead of making a comment about the annoying nickname Elena had given her, T’Lira chose to gesture slightly at the lieutenant commander on watch. The man was fiddling with something.

“What is that object he is holding?”

“That? Oh, that’s a Houdini. We’re supposed to be setting up a field, but we got some defective ones, so he’s trying to fix them. Thank God for engineers, huh?”

“Hey, aren’t you lot supposed to be resting before tomorrow?” the commander spun and snapped out his words, his ears flattened back and his tail twitching.

“Aye sir. We’re just curious is all,” Kyrembril spoke up, her tiny voice being amplified by her inherent Betazoid telepathy.

Shtharssh just snarled softly, “Just get some sleep. I won’t be merciful if you aren’t at your best tomorrow.”

Another ensign snickered, “No, he won’t.”

“Shari! Quit scaring the newbies!” Lieutenant Tompkins teased the young Trill ensign, who just rolled her eyes.

T’Lira recognized Shari Kyon. She’d graduated two years before them and was known for causing trouble and pranking her fellows.

“One of these days,” the Trill declared, “I will be assigned to a post where I can actually be useful and have a little fun!”

Elena rolled her eyes and Kyrembril frowned. Edward just snorted and rolled over, closing his eyes. Kyon and Tompkins instantly launched into their traditional argument of what “fun” meant.

How such a word could have various meanings was beyond T’Lira at the moment. It had been sixty hours since she had last slept, having elected to assist in guard duty. As Elena and Kyrembril fell asleep, T’Lira wondered just what they would wake up to in the morning.

It turned out to be a small cloud of Houdinis floating about with odd faces drawn on them in silver.

For the rest of the mission, Kyon looked exuberant and quite proud of herself as they sent the decorated Houdinis towards the enemy.

And to this day, she still kept one of them (deactivated, of course) so the children she watched could be amused by its antics. At least, that’s what Taril had said in his latest message.