Hidden Targets

Posted on Sun Sep 6th, 2026 @ 8:45pm by Ensign Toran Vos & Lieutenant Darik Moreau

2,586 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Ghost Starship
Location: Firing Range, USS Missouri
Timeline: Before encountering the USS Hindenburg

ON:

Lieutenant Darik Moreau arrived at the firing range five minutes before he needed to, because if Security had decided he was due for recertification in shipboard phaser use, he might as well cooperate and simply be there on time. The notice had appeared on his PADD less than an hour earlier, brief and automatic in the way these things so often were. Scheduled, assigned, non-optional. He had read it once, let out the faintest breath through his nose that might, in a kinder mood, have counted as amusement, and altered the rest of his afternoon accordingly.

Now he stood in the quiet order of the range in full uniform, the PADD still in one hand as he let his gaze move over the room. It was a good space. He would have to find an excuse to come here again. It might seem faintly ridiculous that a department head needed to be recertified, but the higher one climbed, the less often one actually held a phaser. Especially outside Security, which Darik was not. Intelligence meant he was no stranger to weapons, only less accustomed to carrying one every day.

A Type-II phaser, too, was a different thing from the long-range phaser rifle he had used more often when he was still in the field. He still practised with that when he could, though regrettably less often now than he had two years ago. He looked around once more, then made himself a quiet promise to pick the habit up again.

"Lieutenant Darik Moreau?" Toran Vos asked from the doorway, still looking at his PADD on the way in. The Betazoid finally looked up to the officer he had been sent to recertify...and paused. Just for a moment.

Cardassian.

No, no there was something more. Not just Cardassian. Not just the race that had been responsible for attacking his homeworld. Killing his family.

Toran let out a soft breath to cover the pause, uncomfortable at his own unexpected reaction. He looked to the PADD instead, using a finger to scroll over the data on it, as if he was reading something. "I'm Vos, I'm here for your recertification."

Darik watched the man closely, seeing the pause...seeing the way he looked at the PADD rather than him. But that moment he had looked at him, Darik had seen the black eyes. Betazoid. "Good to meet you, Ensign Vos," he said, rather than anything else. A small part of him almost wanted to cancel, to offer something. But that part rarely showed up and Darik was always able to push it down. "I suspect this will be rather quick, although I have requested for the full range of phasers, including the Type-III...and the modified long-range phaser rifle."

Although in hindsight, perhaps he should just have done the type II and then made a quick exit. It may have been more comfortable.

"Should be straight forward enough. It says here that you are experienced with all of those," Toran replied lightly as he scrolled through the file. The man was intelligence. It seemed to match the chill he'd felt. He licked his lips, not liking it though. He didn't like the ugly feeling, towards a stranger no less. He cleared his throat, took a breath and then deliberately looked up to the man, meeting his eyes and offering a small smile to try and shake it off. "We'll start with the Type 2. Talk me through the settings," he made his way over to unlock the cabinet, setting the phaser on the bench in front of them.

Darik watched the Betazoid for a long moment, just studying his face as if he was committing every inch to memory. And then he blinked, blue eyes steady before he looked at the Type 2 phaser. He picked it up, checking it. "We have light stun, which includes disorientate, enough to confuse or throw someone off balance without necessarily dropping them completely. Then standard stun, which is what most people mean when they say stun in the first place. After that comes heavy stun, which will put someone down harder and keep them there longer, though by then you want to know the physiology you are dealing with rather than simply hoping the setting will do the thinking for you." He tilted his head to the side as he turned the phaser in his hand, his thumb resting close to the setting controls as he spoke in a calm voice. Not reciting...just words he knew well. "After that you move into heat and lethal settings. Burn, then kill, and above those the more destructive settings, where the concern stops being just the target and starts including whatever happens to be behind it as well. In practice, light stun through heavy stun is what matters most in ordinary use. We also have wide beam..." his eyes went to Toran. "Which is underused in Starfleet if you ask me."

"I'd agree with you there," Toran replied lightly as he brought the target up at the end of the range. A simple old fashioned bullseye before they even looked at moving targets. "Although...a wide beam setting does carry the risk of collateral damage," he replied lightly, glancing his way.

Darik glanced at Toran before he moved into position. He did not ask for permission, but took aim and fired at the target. "It depends on what you'd call collateral damage..." he said before he gave a nod and secured the phaser, lowering it. His blue eyes stayed on the target. Not a bad shot, but it was not amazing either. He never liked the type II. "Wide beam works best if there's one or two against a larger force that are gaining ground. It...mitigates the risk."

"But only if you're sure that civilians or colleagues won't get caught in the wider beam," Toran replied with something close to a shrug, but kept his eyes on the target, seeing if he could group his shots effectively.

Darik's lips curled into a small smile of amusement before he lifted the phaser again and fired. "Naturally. Although in my experience, being stunned can be a humbling thing...it's good for some officers now and then..." he looked over at Toran. "If only for the morale of the enlisted."

Toran gave a soft grunt that was almost a laugh as he logged his high scores. "Speak for yourself, I'd rather stay on my feet thanks..."

Darik chuckled at that, looking at him before securing the type II. "I'll remember that," he said lightly, studying the profile of the Betazoid.

Toran glanced to him with an arched eyebrow, but didn't sense any ill will. He swallowed as he turned, locking the phaser away before taking the rifle to set down for him. "My weapon of choice...."

"It is a good one," Darik said as he walked over, looking at it before he looked at Toran, meeting his eyes. "Steady for aiming, comfortable to hold. It always has...intention with it. You carry it because things are moving, not because it is a nice little away team mission and everyone is relaxed."

Toran held his eyes that time, not looking away. He watched him steadily...not tense, but motionless. His dark eyes added an intensity to the gaze as he studied him. Really studied him. The cords...the softer patches of skin...the slight crinkle at the corner of blue eyes...the line of a vein near his temple...a loose whisp of dark hair...all the things that made him real. Just...flesh and blood, like everyone else. "Carrying it can be as useful for preventing an attack as finishing one."

Darik swallowed at the look...he knew when he was being watched, openly. Somehow, that was better than hidden, stolen looks. "Yes...I suppose so," he said and looked down, at the phaser rifle. "Not that Intelligence has a lot of experience with that. Except when the entire ship have to take up arms." He picked it up, checking it slowly.

"You handle weapons well for someone who doesn't have much to do with them..." Toran replied lightly, the note of scepticism clear.

Darik moved to the range, lifting the rifle to take aim. He slowed his breathing, his body still before he fired. "I have done archery since I was a teenager," he said, lowering the weapon. "Going into Starfleet, phasers...made sense. I entered wanting to be a Security Officer..." he turned his head to look at Toran.

Toran glanced him over at that, not sure if he was surprised by the admission or not. "Desperate to guard brigs, were you?" he offered a weak, half smile, clearly not meaning it.

Darik smiled back, giving a shrug before he looked back at the targets. He lifted the phaser rifle and fired again. "I wanted to serve the Federation. I thought Security was a good fit, Starfleet...thought I'd be better in Intelligence. So that is where I went."

Toran just watched him silently for a long moment, his thumb brushing over the corner of the PADD he held. He remembered that feeling too. When he'd been in the system and wanted to give back to the organisation that had helped him. "Yeah, I just wanted to serve too," he finally replied.

Darik nodded and secured the rifle, glancing his way. "Then we have the same goal," he stated, because it was a way to build a bridge. He was used to not being liked, or trusted. What helped was having a common goal.

Toran reached to change the range, the lights shifting to imitate night time as new targets moved at a distance. "Hit all the targets in your own time please..."

Darik shifted his stance on instinct, lifting the rifle. He eased his breathing, his heart rate. He took a moment and then fired in quick succession, hitting the targets. The last one was by no means a perfect shot but on stun you did have some leeway.

"All targets down," Toran confirmed, glancing briefly to Darik, studying his profile in the dim light. "One last test," he warned, reaching to tap the console, the targets starting to move.

The moving targets changed the situation. Darik shifted his hold of the rifle, moved slowly as he started anticipated patterns. He raised the rifle and took the shot. Two hits, one miss. There was a slight grimace at the miss, but he schooled his features into blankness out of habit.

Toran glanced at him all the same, noting the control on the other man's face. It spoke to his nature...and his fighting style. "You can try again," he offered quietly, not sure if that would be approved of or not. Not everyone appreciated a second chance.

"Thanks," Darik said and gave a nod, taking a deeper breath. "I'll give it another go." He waited until the targets moved again, letting his eyes follow them before he raised the rifle. This time, it was three hits, but only because he didn't let himself think about it.

Toran nodded with a small smile, logging his final scores with an arched eyebrow. "Not bad at all. I've updated your certification in the system, you won't need to do another test for a year, but...I'd always recommend regular practice. Especially if you don't tend to...get the chance in your day job."

Darik moved to put the weapon back, securing it before he looked at Toran. "I find it easier to do phaser training if it is...organised," he admitted as he met his eyes. "Or else it gets relegated to 'do it when I got time', which...is rare. Is there any that your department do for...other departments? I am not asking for team building, but something a bit more than...just me in a room weighing up my lifechoices."

Toran considered for a long moment, taking in a long, measured breath. He could offer. He should offer. Maybe it was time to offer. "We could do a training course on the holodeck. If you wanted," he tried to sound casual about it.

Darik watched the Betazoid before him for a moment. He could see the tension. He could even pretend he saw the moment of decision. His fingers flexed once at his side before he stilled them, thumb brushing briefly over the seam of his uniform trousers, a small, controlled motion that gave him somewhere to put the pause. Then he shifted and turned to face him properly, shoulders squared but not stiff, meeting his eyes. "Only if you are comfortable with it," he said, deciding that he might as well meet it head-on. "I won't be offended if it's a bit much, training alongside a Cardassian. I have time for you to get used to me. Or not, and...well, we can both be professional."

Toran blinked at the blunt response, swallowing hard at being so transparent. He looked down with shame, clearing his throat and licking his lips. "Maybe it's time," he finally replied, glancing back up to him with dark eyes.

Darik nodded, giving him a small smile. "Maybe...I'd certainly like the chance to get to know you. Of course, I could be a complete bastard, but at least then you know that's just my personality..." he said lightly, his blue eyes shining with humour. "And not my blood."

Toran couldn't help a soft chuckle at the way he put it, nodding as he looked down, a small smile on his lips. "Fair."

"Alright," Darik said with a smile, before he looked at the weapons. "So, do you think I'll pass, or do I have to try out again? Because if I have to do it again, I am going to get my bow and do it the ancient way."

"Bow?" Toran asked with confusion as he reset the range, the lights raising back to normal level.

Darik looked at him for a moment, his eyebrows lifting slightly. "Archery," he clarified. "I think I did mention it...but not every world has it or...something close to it." He picked up his PADD, but did not move towards the door yet. "I have done it since I was fourteen. I am considerably better with a bow than I am with a Type II phaser." He gave a small smile, looking at the Betazoid. "Less useful on a starship, admittedly. Unless we lose power and are boarded by people with a particular vulnerability to arrows." He glanced towards the range before looking back at Toran. "You could try it sometime, if you wanted. It is quieter than this. Although Shreya always said that made it harder to blame the equipment."

"I'll have to look it up," Toran admitted, shaking his head with a slight frown of confusion. Between a sheltered upbringing and a focussed career path, he'd found there was a lot he'd missed out on over the years.

Darik watched him for a moment before he tilted his head. "Or perhaps, if you like...we can set up an appointment, I bring my bow and I teach you," he said, his hands going behind his back as he watched him.

Toran held his breath for a long moment as he considered, seeing it almost as a challenge from the other man. Maybe it was. He nodded lightly, accepting it either way. "Let's do it."

A post by:

Lt. Darik Moreau
Chief Intelligence Officer

&

Ensign Toran Vos
(PNPC Penrose)

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