A Moment to Meet [Back Post]
Posted on Wed Nov 8th, 2023 @ 1:39am by Captain Maxwell Culver & Captain Lorut Vila & Commander Rylen Lyo & Lieutenant Desha
Edited on on Wed Nov 8th, 2023 @ 1:39am
2,027 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
First Contact
Location: USS Intrepid: Diplomatic Galley
Timeline: MD2: 1200 hours
Max walked from the counter to the table with three glasses of water, a wedge of lemon precariously perched on the side of each glass. Placing them down on the table, Max grabbed the coasters at the center of the table and moved the water onto them. He placed a small cocktail napkin in the event his guests wanted a drink with lunch.
Vila was on time-it was nearly time for her shift to start, anyway, and the arrival of the Pod People had piqued her scientific interest, so she was around more than usual-usually hiding out in the Lab with S'Tera and Aurora, looking at the Helivan ecosystem in microscopes. Fascinating stuff.
"Captain," she said, as she entered after a quick knock. She never rang the chimes-a charming part of her personality, she was sure. "Wow, what's the occasion?" she asked.
“Yesterday was such a clusterfuck that we missed the arrival of two new officers. I thought it might be nice to enjoy a casual lunch and get to know the new arrivals without the threat of Helivans dropping in on us at any time.”
Max took a sip of his coffee before looking up as the new arrivals entered.
Vila nodded. "Absolutely. The Counselor and Quartermaster have assured me that both of them are settled," she said. She used the replicator for her own cup of coffee, and settled back in.
"If you fill out the personnel roster too quickly, the Fleet will require us to do more," she remarked.
“That’s my hope,” Max responded wryly and quietly.
Since he knew he was expected, the Chief of Operations did not ring the chime to ask permission for entry; instead, he simply knocked on the frame of the door lightly. His perception of the demeanor in the room told him that it was casual, so he assumed that would be sufficient. Rylen nodded crisply to both the Captain and the First Officer. “Good afternoon sir, ma’am.” He walked briskly toward the replicator module and began to program his order.
Vila raised an eyebrow. They were a casual team, but there was still politeness. Still, she didn't say anything, she just glared cooly.
Max looked up as the new officer arrived, he was quiet as he matched the man’s spots with their new Chief of Operations, Rylen Lyo. He was bemused as, after greeting his new CO and Exec, Lyo headed straight for the replicator. Noting Vila’s face, he figured she was about to lay into him.
"I assume you're Commander Lyo? Is there any reason why you didn't ask to use the replicator?" she asked. Men and their audacity.
At that moment, the doorbell rang. Just outside the door, Lieutenant Desha stood wearing her dress uniform. She'd pondered wearing a traditional Denobulan dress, or even something Vulcan, but it felt weird to be out of uniform while walking through the ship. Something about that made her feel uncomfortable.
Rylen stopped in the middle of a sequence of controls and turned toward the Commander. “Apologies Commander,” he said, measuring his words carefully. “I was told this was a casual meet…and I sensed a relaxed atmosphere from both of you. Please forgive me for misreading the situation.”
"Casual is one thing. We're casual with EACH OTHER because we're command," she said, a bit cooly. She always did her "bitch bad-cop" thing at first to see who could handle it. "Continue," She said.
’Way to make someone feel welcome,’ thought the Kriosian. ’I will remember that.’ He turned back toward the table and crossed his arms in a defensive posture.
"Come in, Desha," she said. She made a face at Max.
Max was sat at the table with a slight smile given to Vila before the door opened and a Denobulan in formal dress walked in. ’Quite the opposite impression,’ Max thought. In fairness, Max had given Commander Lyo control of the ship already. “Welcome, Lieutenant Desha, come in. I promise not to bite, I can’t promise the same of Commander Lorut.”
Desha walked in, looking around mildly nervously. She smiled at the Captain and First Officer, before taking a seat.
“Everybody should feel free to relax. As Commander Lyo already felt, no doubt through his empathy, Commander Lorut, that this is meant to be a casual meeting. Help yourself to something to eat or drink.”
Vila shot Max a look. "I know," she said. "Still, there's a difference between "casual" and "indifference." I should know," she said. She operated on sheer indifference most of the time. "Let's begin. Welcome aboard."
Suddenly not feeling particularly hungry, Rylen realized he had crossed that proverbial courtesy rubicon and would look like a fool if he did not place an order of some kind. “Espresso. Double,” he said. The drink materialized in a swirling vortex of photonic energy; the Kriosian took the demitasse cup and quickly took a seat.
Vila indicated that Max should start. SHE wasn't about to.
Max looked to Lieutenant Desha, tossed around on her first day from one face to another. “Lieutenant Desha, I would like to take a moment to apologize for your mish mosh arrival yesterday. On any other day, you probably would have been well met, but as you’ve seen, we had - and still have - our hands full.”
Desha chuckled. "First contact and new department heads is a difficult situation to balance, Captain. It's perfectly understandable."
Max looked at Rylen Lyo as he reached out and thought, ‘Don’t worry too much about Commander Lorut, she’ll settle her thoughts and her attitude in just a few minutes here, I’m sure.’
Vila sipped her coffee. “Lieutenant Campbell assured me you were settled. I trust she was polite and correct. She hasn't lied to me before," Vila remarked. Vila liked the Counselor, as a woman she was sweet, a bit naive, and Vila recognized a little bit of something rough and tumble underneath the "perfect" visage.
Despite the (unexpected and clandestine) reassurance from the Captain, Rylen continued to still feel little more than bitter dudgeon radiating from Commander Lorut. Perhaps he was interpreting her emotions incorrectly? Although active empathy was fairly common among the higher nobility on Krios, controlling those abilities was considered a private matter; the strength of Rylen’s abilities, coupled with his indifference toward them, made his empathy difficult to focus. He took a sip of his espresso and made a noncommittal noise.
Desha wasn't telepathic, but even she could tell that the vibes were strange. And with everyone in the room outranking her, there was little she could do except distract everyone. And she was pretty sure that Max and Rylen were having a full-on telepathic conversation behind their backs.
"So Captain, what do you like to do for fun?" Desha asked, before immediately regretting it. ’What a stupid question, it sounds like I'm interrogating him,’ she thought to herself.
“Right now I’m just looking at fun ways to stay active besides the monotony of the gym,” Max answered. “I’ve been playing Velocity more recently since holodeck time is limited and, to be honest, when I surf…I just want to be in the zone without the computer interrupting. I’m also into swimming, I guess I should get back to that since the Intrepid has been finding ways to interrupt that too,” Max answered, sounding almost eager to himself. Maybe it was the growing tension between Vila and Rylen.
Max hoped he wouldn’t have to ask Vila to leave. Finishing his own thoughts. He added, “I also have a new program of silent meditation to control my abilities. I had heard we interrupted yours yesterday when the new crew and the Helivans decided to show up.” Max now turned his attention to Rylen then at Vila. “Maybe we should all do some focusing exercises today?” Max suggested.
"We don't have time," Vila said. "I have a meeting with the new Intel woman at one pm and the Counselor at two-thirty," she said. "Counselor Campbell is such a sweet lady. I really can't keep her waiting," she said.
"Lieutenant Desha, thank you for joining us. I hope you're finding your first few days welcoming. I'd like for you to get with Commander Rush, and see if there's areas where you two can work together. We're heading for No-Man's Land soon, and you can't really be too cautious," the Bajoran said, ignoring the plainly rude telepathic conversation between the Captain and the Ops officer. "Captain?" she asked.
“Commander?” Max said, noting that she had just railroaded him essentially. “Next time you come to welcome new officers, please bring a better attitude. Once we hit No-Man’s Land, there’s nowhere to go but the brig, or as you’re fond of threatening, out an airlock.”
“Consider yourself dismissed, Commander…and before you say one more word out loud, just understand that my brigs are clean and ready. Good day, Commander Lorut.”
Max turned back to the officers left before him, remaining quiet until he felt her presence exit and the doors close with their pneumatic hiss.
The woman left in a hurry, without a word. The Captain would get his soon enough-of that, she'd make sure. She hurried down the corridor, though, towards the Command center to check on the troops. If she wasn't needed in boring meetings, she might as well do some work.
“Now,” Max said as he turned his attention toward the newcomers. “I really have to apologize. You will find Commander Lorut a competent officer who would give her life for yours. That said, she tends to live on the aggressive side of conversations.”
Max could feel the tension in the room. “Well, I’m sure you guys know we’re having a diplomatic reception tonight and the chefs have been going all out for First Contact. I’d feel better if we talked over a little rum raisin ice cream, or maybe some chocolate covered strawberries?”
Desha stared in shock at what had just unfurled before her eyes. She'd read a lot of files on the captain and the first officer, and it had shown a good working relationship. Words on a PADD tend to miss out some of the more unique dynamics on a ship, apparently. "I think I might replicate myself some synthehol, if that's alright?"
“I think they’ve brought some of the real stuff out of storage for tonight,” Max mused. “I believe we have some Chateaux Picard red or some champagne that might help finish the unorthodox measure of the meeting.”
“What about you, Commander Lyo? Something to drink? A glass of wine won’t hurt anyone before this evening’s gathering,” he finished, using Rena’s reverse empathy he sent out a soothing vibe to both of them. Not enough that either would notice, just enough to reset the room’s emotional barometer.
“If it’s all the same, Captain, I will stick with coffee for now,” responded Lyo coolly. “This may seem prudish…but I don’t like alcohol. I don’t like what it makes people do and say. I am willing to consume small quantities as a gesture of courtesy, but that is where it ends. Respectfully, sir.”
“You bet,” Max responded, holding up own. Looking from one annoyed officer to another very confused officer, Max decided they had he exposed to enough of the Intrepid’s bipolar second impressions. ”Well, as much as I love sitting in awkwardness with each other, I’d much rather call this meeting adjourned.”
Max shrugged to himself as he found himself alone, in the diplomatic galley. He walked through aisles of prepared, fresh, real strawberries- thanks to the hydroponics farm. He slid out a tray of chocolate covered strawberries and found a place to sit down eat in a moment of quietness.
’Is there any way we can screw this up any more than we already have?’ The strawberry in his mouth reminded him of the diplomatic reception.
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