Moodily Daniels stared into his beverage, watching the bubbles swirl around the glass as he wondered, Why am I still here?
He had intended to leave the moment the Captain had walked away after they’d exchanged pleasantries, but somehow that wily Bolian Engineer had managed to extend the time, cleverly manipulating the Security Chief so that he didn’t notice until now, when Rell had temporarily left him alone.
Nearly everyone’s gone now! Daniels thought irritably. Well, everyone important, anyway! Sure, there’s the Captain and K’Teira, but what about Grieg? Or - he mentally shuddered - Elek? Probably gone somewhere together to bore each other in private!… I wonder if I can get Grieg to give me only the minimum of shifts with her? Hmph. Probably not - one of the drawbacks of being a senior is having to work with the other seniors, eh? Oh, well; at least I get to play with the phasers full-time now!
Lessee… Who’s gone? The other Randall… Viana - didn’t think she’d miss… no, there she is, over with that pile of juniors making that bloody racket. I should go and see if… er yuck! Willbanks! Okay, that ends that! Rell, you finished yet? I wanna see Lynn!
No such luck - the Bolian was still prattling on to the Tellarite woman who’d accosted him as though there was no tomorrow. Daniels sighed, and once more felt trapped by obligation. However, this time he’d had enough; it was time to go, even if Rell wasn’t ready to. He felt bad about leaving the Bolian to his own devices, but God, hadn’t Daniels sacrificed enough of his evening to the Engineer already? And it seemed that he could hold his own now without Daniels’ help - he was having more fun than Daniels had had all night!
So, with a slight swagger that was meant to hide indecisiveness, he moseyed over to the Engineer.
"I’m heading down to the planet now, so I’ll see you tomorrow." he announced.
With laughing eyes, Rell turned towards the stocky human and replied,
"That’s fine. I was wondering how much longer you’d last here, anyway! You’ve done well!"
With the intense feeling he’d been had, Daniels sneered,
"Gee, thanks." then he turned to go, paused, and turned back, pointing at the Tellarite wonderingly. "Say - didn’t we meet before, down in Engineering?"
"No, sir." the Ensign replied efficiently, coming to a half attention that looked rather ludicrous given her porcine figure. "" am Laj - my compatriot is Nagten, and she is only a Chief Petty Officer."
"Right." Daniels said sickly - he didn’t care! "Okay, well, I’ll see you later, Rell. Nice to meet you, Laj."
Then he left as quickly as he could.
"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Laj asked after Daniels was gone. Rell was having trouble keeping his face from contorting into a grin, but managed to keep the muscle spasms to a slight palsy as he granted that permission.
"Sir, it seems that the security personnel I’ve met so far are rather… unconventional."
"True." the Bolian agreed, "but then, isn’t it the same in Operations? I remember when I was the Operations Manager on the Delkani…"
The Captain stood before the entryway to the play area, just far enough away to ensure the doors didn’t open yet. She had a lot to think about; a lot of new information to process; and she wanted this transition time between shucking her official ‘Captain’ persona and resuming her maternal one to last a little longer so that she could think about what had just passed.
This evening had been the perfect cap to a fine first day. She knew she was lucky to get such an easy reintroduction to Starfleet life, but she was glad she had. Being able to tour the ship at her leisure and to meet the crew on a more even basis without the extra pressures of full command had been what she’d needed to shake off those ‘new ship jitters’, and she felt more comfortable now. As K’Teira had said, it would take some time before she’d feel completely at home here, but after this evening’s lovely round of socializing, she was relaxed and happy. She was going to have to thank Commanders Elek and K’Teira for keeping the burden from both her and Commander Grieg while they acclimatized.
Ensign Fischer (didn’t the man have a home?" was the only one of the child carers Susan could identify as she walked in. He was seated in amongst a group of four to five year olds, happily showing them some of the crazy things they could do with a 3D display, but he gave over control to them and approached the Captain.
"Captain Randall! You’ve come for Jason and Lily, I take it?"
His eyes were bright and smile genuinely wide as though he’d been enjoying himself, but the Captain couldn’t take her eyes off the children he’d been playing with. Sure, it was a special night, and not every child here was lucky enough to have both parents aboard with them, but wasn’t it rather late for such young children to be up?
"Yes." she said abruptly, her mind once more in ‘mother’ mode and full of concern for these little ones. "But I can’t help but notice…? Are their parents coming soon?"
"Any moment, actually. Most have signaled that they’re on their way; well, except for Kemlan, here!" A tiny face looked up from the bunch in response to her name, her dark eyes twinkling with what seemed to be a huge joke. More disconcerting was that those child’s eyes also communicated more wisdom than a mere four or five years should give any human child.
"Good evening, Captain." this ‘child’ said in a surprisingly adult tone. "Lily was over by the terminals the last time I saw her, and Jason went off with Yankri and Maurice. They should be about here somewhere."
"Thank-you, Kemlan." Susan replied warmly, readjusting her thinking from ‘child’ to ‘First Federation’. The child-woman inclined her head and went back to tending her charges.
"Kemlan’s my assistant here, even though she’s my senior." Fischer said as they went off in search of the two Randall children. "She’s been in Starfleet longer than I’ve been alive, but she stays a Petty Officer because it suits her. I guess it’s all you need if you want to teach pre-school."
"And you don’t?"
"Oh, no!" Then he thought about what he’d said, and more importantly who he’d said it to, and blushed a bright rosy red. "Well, yes. I love the pre-schoolers, and I’ll stay in the play areas as long as I can, but I’m trained as an elementary school teacher, and I did pre-med. at the Academy. That’s my primary assignment here, medtech , but Doctor Willbanks and K’Teira decided I’d do better down here for now.
"But to let you know what’s been done for your two today," he continued, leading her carefully throughout a veritable minefield of floating foam blocks, "without spoiling their stories, of course!"
"Of course." she tolerantly laughed.
"They were given dinner tonight, so you won’t have to feed them once you get them home - Jason’s quite a slow eater, isn’t he?"
"He’s easily distracted." She kicked an errant block away as it threatened to tangle in her long legs.
"We’ve shown all the new arrivals around the most relevant parts of the ship - family quarters, school, holodecks, recreational facilities and the like, though Paris was off limits today owing to Chianeé’s short fuse!" He laughed. "So there are some areas you can show them, and I hear that Lily’s class is going to visit Engineering next week."
"So Commander Rell told me. Have you had any problems with either of them?"
"No - they’ve both been great. Jason’s been playing with Yankri all day, exploring, while Lily…" He considered and half looked at his Captain. "I understand that it takes a while for her to make friends."
"She’s always preferred her own company to that of other kids." she agreed, deftly avoiding a giggling boy chasing a bubble, and his pursuer, a puffing Haliian man. "And she’s somewhat shy around them to begin with."
"I noticed she spent most of the day by herself. She seemed to have fun and quite happily spoke to any who spoke to her, but she kept to herself when the adults weren’t around."
"Give her some time and she’ll settle in. It’s all too new, and I think she’s a bit overwhelmed. She’ll find someone to become close to in time…" …As long as they don’t have to move because of their parent’s new posting…
Fischer was nodding thoughtfully.
"We guessed as much, sir. Would you like us to keep a special eye on her when she’s in here anyway?"
"That would be good, thanks. Just don’t make it too obvious; she’d resent that."
"We’ll do our best… And there she is!"
Fischer pointed into a brightly decorated alcove with computer terminals dotted along the walls. At the farthest point from the door the achingly familiar figure of Lily say hunched over the screen, so obviously fixed upon what she was doing that she didn’t even notice the movement by the door.
"Lily!" relieved by the sight of her happy daughter, Susan allowed all of her emotions to be communicated by that cry. She hadn’t quite known what she was going to find - tears, complaints of boredom and/or neglect, or reasoned explanations as to why they should all pack up and go back to Earth, but this scene was among the best her imaginings had come up with.
"Hi, Mum! Hi, Peter!" Quickly the gangly girl got up and launched herself at the Captain, winding arms around her in a spontaneous expression of joy. "It’s terrific here! We went all over the ship, except the places where the crew was working, but Peter said that my class might go to Engineering soon coz we’re older and more sensible than the other kids, and there’s a huge library here - almost as huge as the ones on Earth! And come and see what I’ve done! I wrote it especially for you!"
Shell-shocked by the barrage of words, Susan allowed herself to be pulled over to the console where Lily had been working, all the while aware of the other person in the room. She couldn’t read the poem the girl had so proudly created owing to her whirling thoughts, she instead went for the old standby of, Keep it for later and hope they don’t notice. Unfortunately for parental wile, Lily was fast approaching the age where tricks like that are seen through immediately, but it was worth a try!
"That’s great, Lily - why don’t you make a permanent copy and we’ll display it in our quarters?"
"Okay!" Lily hurried to make it so.
"And have you seen your brother? It’s past his bedtime, and you both have school in the morning."
"Already?" She sounded excited at the prospect. "I met my teacher today, and he’s really great! Ensign Der’kas is a Cyrikan, and he’s brilliant. I’m really looking forward to it!"
"I can tell. And Jason?" Susan pressed.
"Oh!" Picking up her newly formed permanent, Lily replied, "I think he’s over on the climbing frames, but I’m not sure."
"Well, that’s where we’ll look. Come on, Lily."
"Do I have to go?" Lily looked to Fischer appealingly. "I needed to finish one more thing…"
"The program will be here tomorrow." Fischer said kindly, catching her mother’s irritation and not wanting to increase it. "And so will the play area."
"Okay." Lily reluctantly agreed, then brightened at a new thought as they moved for the climbing frames. "Who gets the bedroom with the window?"
Susan had known it would come back to this, and was irritated she hadn’t yet made a decision.
"We’ll see."
"You children enjoy your last few hours of freedom - unfortunately for some of us those hours passed days ago. And I’m sure there are a tonne of rumours you want to start that my presence is delaying. Have a good night."
It was with those words that K’Teira left the increasingly jocular group in Paris, though she had pulled the distinctly droopy Lieutenant Barlok aside to recommend that he went back to his quarters either to sleep or to change into something less spot-concealing. He’d been defensive, of course, but she knew that he’d either see reason or he’d fall asleep at the table; at which point the very distracted Doctor should step in and order him to bed. The fact she hadn’t already was a source of mild interest to the Counsellor, for everything else she’d noted about Lisa so far would have suggested that would have been the first thing she’d noticed about the group. Something had affected her; something much more important than Carmen’s silly tauntings, but K’Teira was sure that what she didn’t know about Lisa now she’d know soon enough, and then she’d take steps if need be. This early in a mission, with all of the myriad distractions, she permitted a few minor lapses.
However, that was all behind her now, and finally she had some time to herself away from the demands of duty. From the moment she put on her uniform that morning she’d been Starfleet’s wholly and soully, for duty was her prime motivation in life; but once she was out of it as she was now, she was free, however briefly, to indulge her Klingon self.
At the end of a long day such as this one had been, it was good to wind down with the ritual movements of the Mok’bara. Though she didn’t wear the red slash of a Master - perhaps she never would -she had more than earned the blue of an Adept, and the movements, so slow and gracefully fatal, came to her as naturally as those of breathing.
Hands poised, they swept through the air as though reaping the wind; stepping forward she approached an imaginary foe, feet hitting the mats in precisely the right places to make a perfect kill. She was One again; One with herself, her Klingon anger, the cosmos; and everything was back in perspective.
The doorbell chimed.
She had been at these relaxing exercises for almost an hour, but she hadn’t raised a sweat - in fact, her heart rate was lower than usual as she turned and made the traditional genuflection to signal the end of a session.
"Enter." she intoned, voice rested and even as she calmly watched the door open.
"Am I interrupting?" His deep voice politely concerned, the new Executive Officer stepped through the door dressed in a veritable riot of colours. Even in her harmonized state, K’Teira had to squint at the distinctly ugly clashed across his chest.
"No, I was almost finished anyway. What is that you’re wearing?"
Grieg blinked, quickly looked down at his chest, then grinned.
"It’s a Hawaiian shirt. You like it?"
"No!" she chuckled, not having found any polite way to speak her mind, and as he’d caught her with her defenses down, the laughter crashed around her unbidden. "I think it’s awful!"
"You wouldn’t believe how many people say that." he said, holding out his arms to better see the mash of bright flowers plastered across his front.
"Yes, I would." she laughed in an undertone, but managed to get herself controlled once more. "So what may I do for you, sir?"
"Call me James." he corrected, holding out a large hand in supplication. "I was just about to take your advice and go down to the planet for a little relaxation, and, well, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?"
K’Teira frowned speculatively and, stepping off the mat-inlaid portion of floor, she felt she had to ask,
"Why me?"
"I’m not sure." he admitted. "I don’t really know anyone here as yet, and you were the first one I met… We didn’t really get a chance to talk at the reception…" He shrugged easily. "And you were the first one I thought of!"
"I’m flattered." she snorted, face, body and voice becoming set in a kind of expressionless mirth. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Oh - rhangosh, please. Hot."
"Please, sit down." she said, indicating the outer wall with a distinctly pointing hand as she disappeared between the ceiling high sets of shelves which dominated the right side of the room.
He looked for a seat were she’d indicated, but the only thing he could find was a window planter filled with tiny seedlings. Otherwise there were the floor mats and a set of three steps leading into what he assumed was her bedroom on the left, and was pretty sure she didn’t mean for him to sit on those.
Actually, the entire set of quarters were unlike any others he’d ever seen allowed on a Starfleet ship. First of all there were the three sets of free standing shelves - the took up fully half of the living area space and had enough room for one person to get between them - perhaps two if they went sideways. Then there was the mat-lined floor - who approved that? The raised bedroom was an interesting twist, and - last but not least - there was no other entryway he could see that might conceivably lead into a bathroom! He laughed to himself, thinking, Maybe the stories of Klingons not bathing are true - but what about the other things?
He was still standing forlornly when she arrived back bearing two drinks. She immediately assessed the problem.
"I’m sorry." she apologized, carefully handing him his steaming mug before deftly hooking her foot around some unseen latch under the lower step and kicking backwards. A low, Japanese-style table trundled out, which she set her own drink on prior to opening a panel under the planter. A selection of wide, comfortable looking cushions fell out; selecting two, she turned back to Grieg and handed him one.
"My couches haven’t arrived yet, and I’d forgotten I’d put all of these away before starting my exercises." she explained, putting her cushion down on the mats and folding her legs over it as she sat. "There are plenty more if you need them."
Bemused but curious, he followed the white-clad woman down on to the mats, using the bottom step as a backrest.
"This’ll be ok." he replied. "How did it go with that group in Paris?" he asked, remembering a loose end he wanted to see tied. "Did it have the desired affect?"
"Mostly." she affably agreed - well, it seemed like an affable agreement; that face was so hard to read, yet the overriding impression he received was of affability! "It certainly made them think twice about using poor Lieutenant Jedera as the brunt of a joke again, but I wonder who their next target might be? There are a few unquenchable spirits in that bunch!"
"Good." he warmly approved, and noting her quick glance at him, added, "As long as they know their limits, I have no problems with humorous tendencies amongst the crew."
Was that a smile he saw on her face as she sipped her juice? If it was, she didn’t give him another chance to see it.
"What were you intending to do planet-side?" she asked.
"Scuba diving - I’m quite prepared to teach you if you’ve never tried it." he added quickly when he saw her hesitate slightly. "I am qualified to."
"That’s not the problem." she said frankly. "However, I cannot take up your kind offer tonight as I have had too long a day, and even a Klingon’s stamina is sorely tried if the challenges are merely mental ones." Her eyes shone. "However, I have been thinking about some other suitable company for you. Was I mistaken when I thought I saw you and Lieutenant Commander Rell getting along before?"
"Rell?" he blinked again. "Why, yes. But I didn’t even consider him! Perhaps it was because he had a friend with him, Lieutenant Daniels; I assumed they’d be going on together after the reception."
"I doubt it." Swallowing the last of her drink, she explained, "Daniels is the kind who could party until the dawn and still want more. I was surprised when I saw he was still with Rell, who really isn’t the most party-like anymore. He’s more what used to be called a ‘work-a-holic’; he won’t leave his post for anything unless he’s dragged. Tonight I got Daniels to do some dragging, and the two seemed to hit it off rather well.
"Anyway, by now Daniels has probably escaped in search of fun, fun, fun, while Rell is back in Engineering making sure everything is absolutely perfect when we ship out tomorrow; which he’s been doing and re-doing for the past week. His record shows that he hasn’t had shoreleave in over a year, so I’d appreciate it if you’d invite him along."
"When you put it that way," Grieg smiled, "how can I refuse? I’ll order him if I have to!"
"That’s the spirit." he thought he heard her say. Whether she said it or not, he decided to ignore it.
"Do you have any other suggestions for companions, then?"
She did, and they discussed them at length. When they were finished, Grieg was at the bottom of his mug - and he believed that a mug of rhangosh wasn’t something to be rushed if one could help it - and reluctantly got to his feet. He’d been enjoying this conversation immensely and he was sorry to be the one who caused its demise, but no matter how fascinating the Counsellor was nor how entertaining the trade between them, he’d imposed for long enough. Time was a-wasting down on the planet. He preferred teaching in the light, and he could just imagine the coming tirades in his mother’s letters if he didn’t go!
Yet there was one last thing he had to check before he left; one little detail that had been nagging at him since he first arrived here in the Counsellor’s abode…
"Well, thank-you for the drink and your help; though it would be nice if you could come along. But before I go - which way is your bathroom?"
An odd expression touched her face, and the line of her mouth softened. He had no idea what that signified.
"Go through the bedroom and to your left." she replied in a thoughtful tone of voice, gracefully uncoiling herself from her cushion to face him. All of a sudden he realized she was nearly as tall as him, and he knew himself to be a tall man. Odd that he hadn’t noticed this before…
Just as he stood on the threshold of the until now hidden bathroom, she said something strange; something which gave him pause before entering its darkened depths.
"Expect the unexpected." she laughed, and when he turned to look back at her, she was watching him with curious intent. Frowning, he stepped into the void which dimly lit as sensors picked up the movement…
From where K’Teira stood, all she could hear was silence. He’s either fainted or is speechless in awe. she thought with amusement. I’ll go and look in a moment. She listened carefully, waiting.
Then came the,
"Well, you don’t need to go diving, do you?" His tone proclaimed how impressed he was with the hologrammatical fish K’Teira had swimming around the walls of the room. Unseen by him, K’Teira smiled with pleasure.
"Beware of the shark." was all she said.
"Are they both in bed?" Already Ian had located the best position for a computer console and was sitting there unpacking, looking as though he’d defy anyone who tried to move him.
Susan stretched luxuriantly as she ambled over to him from by the children’s bedrooms.
"In bed, yes, but asleep?" A doubtful snort. "But I’ve warned them there’s to be no monkey business from either of them, or there’ll be hell to pay!"
"It’s been a big day for them - they’ll probably fall asleep mid-chatter." From Susan’s angle it didn’t appear as though he’d seen her quiet approach, but an impish glint came to his eye as she got nearer. "I like the way you got Jason to take the other room - they both wanted that windowed one."
"That came to me just as I was getting them back here!" she laughed. "I hadn’t a clue who was going to get it until then. I didn’t want to risk Jason having nightmares, so that’s when it occurred to me that the other room might be a little bigger!"
She was close to springing his trap, but instead of stepping closer as he wanted, she half turned and sighed as she looked at the packing crates piled up near the door.
"When are we going to get the time to do all that now?" she wondered, her hands going to her hips in consternation. "I should’ve been unpacking that lot instead of gallivanting around the ship."
"Don’t ask me." he smirked at her, giving her the cheeky half smile that meant he knew he was in the right. "I was working this afternoon!"
"Ha!" She turned on him, eyebrows raised. "you were out enjoying yourself as much as I was, and don’t deny it!"
"But I was in Sciences." he countered primly. "Where were you?"
Irate, she stepped towards him.
"Listen, you!" she warned…
…then squawked in surprise as he scooped her into his lap and started to tickle her.
"What were you going to say, dear?" he asked mildly over the top of her protests.
"Stop it!" she cried, slapping feverishly at his hands, becoming more insistent with each slap. "Stop it! You’ll make me wake the kids!"
"All right." So he stopped, but the pout of satisfaction playing on his lips told her he was more than willing for it to start again at any time. Yet it was comfortable here, and comforting, so apart from shifting to a more upright position, she stayed where she was. She did enjoy it when he was in a playful mood…
"Cheeky sod!" she laughed at him. His eyes sparkled back.
"What do you think of your ship?" he asked.
"I like it. It’s a good place for the kids to grow up, and it’s capable of so much more than the Somne was. But being able to keep you and the kids with me, that’s the best part."
"You’d been stuck on Earth for far too long, and it’s going to be good to finally ship out together, even if I do have to call you ‘Sir’…"
She winced.
"Anything but that!" she shuddered. "It’s bad enough the crew do!"
"’Captain’." he amended with a smile. "It’s going to be good. I think we should celebrate."
She glanced suspiciously at him.
"And how do we do that?"
"Oh," he airily replied, "I’m sure we can think of something…"
Luna and Berry trailed through the arboretum hand in hand. They were quiet, but when telepaths gathered, especially two as in love as these two were, words were completely irrelevant. So they wandered through the twilit gardens, enjoying the greenery of Forest level and each other’s company.
Settling down beneath the young oak tree, Luna spread her skirts about her and stroked Berry’s hair.
<We should get back to the children soon> Berry thought, the thought infused with love as she relaxed into her lover’s touch. <We’ve been away too long. Shula won’t be happy!>
<<<tolerant, loving amusement>>> <Soon, my love. I can’t hear her crying, can you?>
<<<resignedness>>> <That’s no excuse. They’re getting tired. Hear Maurice’s thoughts?>
<<<satisfaction>>> <I know, but that’s from playing with the others all afternoon. He’ll sleep well. We’ll leave in a few minutes. I just wanted to spend a little time in the quiet with you, <<<love, relaxation>>> away from the party, away from the voices and the tours. <<<regret>>> We won’t get a chance for a while after we leave here… I have to make up my lesson plan <<<annoyance>>> but let’s just sit for a little while, ok?>
<<<love>>> <Ok, lover.>
They settled back into each other and relaxed for a while.
<<<amusement>>>
<<<confusion, concern>>> Berry sat up thinking, <What?>
The sense of amusement got stronger.
<Ah my love, just a thought…>
<<<seriousness>>> <Share?>
<<<amusement>>>
<Share!>
Physically Luna began to laugh, interrupting her telepathy to the point she had to gasp out,
"Tomorrow we’ll actually have to interact with the rest of the crew, won’t we?"
<<<relief, growing amusement>>> <That might have to be the way it is, certainly. But we are following K’Teira’s <<<a flood of images, dread, curiosity, confusion, amusement>>> order, aren’t we?>
<We could say that, I think> <<<satisfaction>>> She lay back on the ground, staring up into the shadows of the darkened chamber. <<<images of relaxing, contentment>>> <Nice place, isn’t it? Nearly as good as the Enterprise.>
<<<mental snort!>>> <They’re both Galaxy class, Luna! They’re the same!>
The feeling of a smile washed out over Berry, winding around her mind and leaving her no choice but to smile along with her.
<Really?>
They were almost the last ones left in the lounge now, save for a few lingering couples, waiters clearing up the detritus of the reception, and the ever watchful Chianeé, who had positioned herself behind the bar and was contemplating the little group with a mixture of extreme pleasure and annoyance. K’Teira would be pleased they were getting along so well, she thought as she listened in once again to the various topics the little group of juniors were discussing.
"Hawking’s theory has a lot of merit," Jondalar was wearily saying. "But at the time he developed it humans hadn’t even made it into space beyond their own moon, so they couldn’t detect the complexities involved when navigating near them. Now, Todashr had more of an idea what she was talking about…"
"But Todashr…" Jedera’s voice was so soft that even Chianeé’s sharp hearing couldn’t make out all he was saying; besides which, science talk mad her feel as though her brain was bleeding. One of the disadvantages of working on a Starfleet ship was going to be that she was going to be surrounded by it, she knew. ‘A challenge’, K’Teira would call it - ‘Boring’ Chianeé called it. Her attention moved on.
"…So I have no idea why you even bothered to come tonight!" Carmen was saying in an aside to the young doctor in a tone that was far removed from the acerbic teasing she’d inflicted on the distracted woman the rest of the night. Chianeé had her own theories as to why Lisa was acting that way, and it definitely had something to do with that accident with Commander Grieg. "You aren’t any fun like this!"
"Good." Lisa grumped.
"Why are you sticking around, then?"
"To annoy you!"
Making a mental note to compare observations with the Counsellor, Chianeé listened to another conversation.
The three Ensigns had separated themselves from the others, and Chianeé attention became glued to the subject matter.
"…I never really felt right on my first assignment." Viana admitted to the other two. Their faces were solemn, so Chianeé knew that Serious Matters were being discussed. "I always felt I wasn’t good enough, too low in rank, like I didn’t count, you know? I was a nothing in a big bunch of somethings. But that all passed."
"I, too, felt alone." Chiharu continued, putting aside her customary reserve. "My first assignment was on the Homer. I too was straight out of the Academy and assigned to the helm on my first day. I was very nervous, and during test maneuvers the Commander ordered me to execute a standard orbit of a planet."
"And what happened?" Joenn’s throat sounded very dry.
"I programmed in the wrong coordinates, and when I was told to correct them, I froze. I was horrified at what I’d done. Finally I managed to correct, but the Commander stood me up in front of the bridge crew and berated me. I was humiliated - I knew no one, and I spent the next week feeling isolated and stupid. If it weren’t for my immediate superior telling the Captain what had happened, I might have left Starfleet at the next rendezvous with a Starbase."
Viana’s green eyes flashed.
"What happened to that Commander?"
"I don’t know." Chiharu replied. "She was asked to see the Captain afterwards, and about a month later she transferred. I haven’t seen her since."
"Nothing like that has happened to me." Joenn admitted. "But I feel like I’m so alone…"
"No!" Chiharu said sadly as Viana reached out and snagged Joenn’s shoulder, hugging her to her. Though Joenn smiled, it was weakly, as though she didn’t quite know how to react.
"None of us are!" Viana laughed.
Yes! Chianeé thought, and straightened up. But that that’s done, it’s time for them to go to their quarters - enough is enough!
Fetching a jug of ice water, she ambled over to their table.
"Didn’t you people have quarterrrs assigned to you yet?" she cheerily asked, insinuating herself into the group in order to place the jug before them. All looked at her.
"What time is it, Chianeé?" Carmen stretched luxuriously as she asked this.
"One twenty hourrrrs."
"What? I’ve got to get out of here!" the doctor cried, throwing off her deep blue funk as effortlessly as she knocked her chair flying as she got up. "Why didn’t anyone tell me?"
"We didn’t know." Jedera apologized.
Lisa replaced the chair beneath the table and started out across the room; then paused, peering at the wan face of the Mantanan as though seeing him for the first time.
"You’re leaving too!" she announced, glaring with the first spark of real interest they’d seen since the Counsellor had left so long ago. "And that’s an order!"
Sleepily Jondalar got to his feet, too tired now to put up any protest - perhaps he was glad of a polite excuse.
"All right." he said. "I’ll see you all later?" He looked at Jedera in particular.
There was no pause between his question and their agreement.
"Another time, then." Lisa said, speaking for the group. "But as for we two now, good night!"
"Good night!" Jondalar echoed as he was hurried away.
The farewells were given quickly so that the rapidly departing duo might hear them. When they’d disappeared, Carmen asked softly,
"Does anyone know what was wrong with Lisa tonight? Normally she’d just bite my head off; I think she enjoys the outlet…"
Jedera gently shook his head.
"Maybe it’s just new-assignment blues." Viana suggested as she glanced at Joenn. "Isn’t this her first time at running a Sickbay alone?"
"She was really embarrassed about bumping into Commander Grieg." Chiharu added. "She might still be upset about that."
"She might." Carmen replied without much enthusiasm, instead getting off her chair. "But I think she was right in leaving when she did, anyway. I just thought she might have told you guys something she wouldn’t have told me. But right now I think my little friend’s example was the right one, so I shall bid you adieu and to all a good night." Then she shrugged. "With Lisa and Jondalar gone I have no reason to stay, anyway!" With an airy wave, she was gone.
"Now that…" Chianeé purred as she took over Carmen’s warm seat. "…is one lady who the differrrence between what she says, and what she is, is infinite. But what shall I do with the rrrrest of you? We ship out tomorrrrow, rrrmemberrr, and I would prreferr the crrew rrunning the ship I live on to be rrrested! It would make me feel betterrr, yes!"
"Don’t remind me about tomorrow." Viana grumbled even as she stood, pushing a strand of golden hair out of her eyes. "I’m not looking forward to it."
"What?" Chianeé’s astonishment was quickly echoed by almost everyone else - only Joenn remained pointedly silent. "But why?"
"You in Security?" she asked as a dark reply, smirking as she pulled on her uniform to show off its colour. "Highest death rate in the Fleet!"
"It used to be the redshirts." Chiharu said softly.
"Still Security!" Viana retorted.
"Change divisions." Jedera suggested carefully, but was met with a derisive snort.
"I tried that and it didn’t work. They wouldn’t let me!"
"Maybe it will with Commander Grieg - he seems a fair kind of man." Joenn timorously put in.
"And you already have K’Teirrra on side, I’d wagerrr." Chianeé rumbled sensuously, a set of her hands pawing at Jedera’s ear slats, causing the Lieutenant to flinch nervously away. The Prarrian didn’t seem to notice. "Give herrr a good rreason, and she’ll do as much as she can to help you and prrrrobably morrrre."
"You sound like you’ve known her for ages." Viana noted, again pushing hair out of her face - it seemed to enjoy bungee jumping on to it right when she wanted to speak, but it didn’t seem to consciously bother her too much.
"I have." she agreed, turning her attentions to the silky black hair or the Terran pilot, combing her fingers through the short bob to find the nape of her neck. "And I might even tell you about it some day, if you all go to yourrr quarrrters rright now. The barrr is now closed."
Chianeé left them then, going around the rest of the room to alert the other stragglers. The remaining four looked at each other then, and Viana said,
"Well; looks as though we no longer have a choice! So I guess I’ll say goodbye for now… And I’ll see you on the bridge tomorrow, Jedera! It’s been fun!" With that, she left.
Chiharu soon followed the Security Officer, saying,
"It has been good meeting you both, and I hope we can do this again soon."
That left the two stellarcartographers alone. Knowing how shaken Joenn would still be at being left with him, he kindly asked,
"Shall we go?"
"Ok."
They walked out into the corridor and down towards the turbolift.
"Did you have a good time tonight?"
Joenn turned at the sound of his whisper, and thought about her answer, ultimately concluding she had. Yet how did she tell them about the revelations she’d had tonight - that senior officers cared for their underlings; that she wasn’t the only one who felt stupid and inadequate at a new job; that there were people here she could be friends with as easily as those she’d left at the Academy; that maybe the Fairburn mightn’t be such a bad place after all.
Eventually she decided there was only one way she could - and should - answer him; all the enthusiasm and energy she thought she’d lost in the quagmire of homesickness gushed forth as she said,
"Yes!"
Jedera stopped before the turbolift doors and smiled, the expression lighting up his beautiful amber eyes.
"I’m glad," he said.
