Enlightening Conversations

Posted on Sun Oct 19th, 2025 @ 5:48pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson

1,249 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Wild Wild West
Location: Planet - Durango City

The sheriff nodded and made his way outside. With the room now there's, Deanna looked to Jon, indicating she was deferring to him for the questioning, at least at this point. No use her having all the fun after all.

Jon nodded at Deanna and her deferral to him at least to start the questioning and turned to Barton. "We can do this easy or hard Barton the choice is yours. All you have to do is answer a few questions. That isn't so hard, is it?"

Barton leaned forward, "You want me to answer questions. You get that that little..."

Deanna smashed her fist into his bleeding shoulder. "Let's not start down that road."

Jon smiled patiently at Barton, "Now let's try this again Barton and do try to keep a civil tongue otherwise........" Jon let the statement hang in the air until Barton sneered at him.

"Otherwise what lawman?" Barton sneered.

Jon smiled a cold predatory smile. "Otherwise, we'll just have to remove it."

"You should heed his words. He is the nice one. My methods will have you begging for death" Deanna quipped in a darkly serious tone.

"Ask your questions. No lawman going to scare me, and certainly no uppity female" Barton groaned, the pain from his wound beginning to become pronounced.

Jon smiled again but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Oh, you got me scared. You know Barton, I have a better idea, you tell us all about your activities and if you don't well, we'll just go out and tell everyone you sang like a bird. I wonder what your brother will think of that." He looked to Deanna, "What do you think? Life measured in minutes?"

Deanna just offered a wry grin.

"Ask your questions" Barton said, defeated.

Jon nodded, looked to Deanna, knowing she could scan and know if Barton was leveling with them.

"Excellent Barton, I knew you could be agreeable. "My questions or question is this, we want to know about your activities and how large your gang and payroll is. We have an idea, but we want you to confirm it."

"You want to know my activities" Barton replied with a smirk. "I eat when I want, sleep when I want, drink when I want. As for how many, you'd have to ask my brother, it is his gang after all."

Jon's smile turned glacial, yet his voice remained even and nonthreatening. "I see we have a failure to communicate. That is bad, very bad for you Barton. I do wish you had been smart about this. However, you chose this way. You know Barton, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and now you are going to see our reaction." Jon said his voice deadly calm. He looked at Deanna, "He's all yours."

Deanna just stood there, staring at Barton. He was unaware, but she was scanning him, learning everything. "You've been a very bad man Barton. Robbery, murder, rape, cattle rustling, arson. Yes, you've hurt quite a lot of people in your 34 years. You need to see the error in your ways, understand that consequences exist, and there are far worse fates than the hangman's noose."

Barton looked at Deanna, a look of disbelief and even horror in his eyes and on his face. "You are some sort of witch. Only way you could know such things."

Deanna chuckled and glanced at Jon. "Been called many things, but a witch is a first."

"Small people, small minds, small closed off thoughts. Not willing or able to understand. Barton here is a perfect example of that." Jon answered with an amused smile before turning to Barton. "You are finished Barton, and you will soon pay for the sins you have committed." He paused before he let loose a zinger. "Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Everyone will know how you came clean."

Deanna looked back to Barton. "Thanks for telling me where I can find your brother as well. I'll let him know how helpful you were. I know he is the more reasonable man."

"I'll kill ya!" Barton yelled as he rose and charged towards Deanna.

Deanna didn't move. She stared at Barton and watched as he stopped in his tracks before falling to the ground. He began to roll around screaming, "Get'em off me!"

The sheriff entered with the doctor, "What in tarnation?"

"I think he is delusional from blood loss or too much whiskey" Deanna noted.

The doctor tended to Barton, trying to calm the man down, though he continued his hysterics.

"I suggest chloroform doctor" Deanna noted.

The doctor let Barton go and reached for his bag, rummaging around until he found the bottle and a cloth, which he dampened with the liquid before placing it over the face of Barton. A few moments later Barton finally collapsed. The doctor looked back to Deanna, "Quick thinking. You have training in medicine?"

"I trained to be an apothecary before moving into my current job" she said flatly, offering Jon a glance, hoping he might excuse them.

Jon stood and watched as Deanna stopped Barton dead in his tracks. A smile played on his lips as she and the doctor spoke. "She is extremely well qualified." Jon said before addressing the sheriff. "We're through here sheriff. I suggest you keep Barton under a careful watch and restraints, so he doesn't hurt himself or anyone else."

"He'll see the judge come morning. Like the two of you to be there for testimony about what you saw when he shot at you."

Jon shared a look with Deanna before addressing the sheriff. "Certainly sheriff." he answered simply.

Deanna walked out with Jon, and they walked down towards the crossroads, seeing the courthouse at the end of the way. Deanna offered a wry grin, "This has been interesting, though we still haven't learned much about these people beyond the fact that they are fairly set in their ways. Certainly been interesting seeing humanity as it was centuries ago. I think we can go speak with Barton's brother tomorrow after we see this judge. From what I got from the sheriff, this judge may have all sorts of information that could be helpful."

Jon nodded as the pair walked along. "While we may not have learned much about how these people got here, it is interesting to interact with them. It is like watching history come alive. I agree on seeing Barton's brother. That should be an interesting meeting to say the least. I hope he's more reasonable than Barton. As for the judge having information that can be helpful, I certainly hope so. Maybe he has something that can shed a light on how they got here."

Deanna nodded. "The sheriff's thoughts about the judge are of a man that is intelligent, a man of history. And from what I got from Barton, his brother is far more reasonable." She looked around, "Suppose we should get back to Aaron and Kate."

"I hope the sheriff's thoughts about the judge are correct and not somehow seen through rose colored glasses. As for Barton's brother being more reasonable, I sincerely hope that is correct." Jon nodded. "Yes, let's get back to them before they start searching for us."

Deanna smiled. "Looking forward to trying the food here. Scans indicated that we should be fine. With all these cattle, I am guessing steak is on the menu." They continued to walk, heading towards the hotel.

 

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