STF

Like We Always Did

Posted Nov. 24, 2020, 7:15 p.m. by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) (Jennifer Ward)

Posted by Ensign Juliet Anders (Security Officer /RTF) in Like We Always Did

Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in Like We Always Did

Posted by Ensign Juliet Anders (Security Officer /RTF) in Like We Always Did
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Cas had been reaching towards the necklace, hidden under her shirt. It had become an unconscious habit that no one had brought her attention to, rather grinning behind her back about it. But she paused and raised a very Vulcan looking single brow. Her mouth twitched slightly. She felt very young and girly at the moment, and that made her feel uneasy with herself. She whispered, “Cmdr Raauhl....” She glanced at Juliet and grinned turning beat red.
Lt Synthi-er

“THE XO!?” It was true they couldn’t hide much between them. But Jewels was so shocked she hadn’t even tried. Caught between laughter and a growl, she shook her head slightly. “Lords and Ladies, Casela! Does anyone else know? He better not be taking advantage of his rank!” She went from surprised to confused to defensive in less than the heartbeat it took to express the questions.

Part of her was suspicious of the XO. But she knew that was just a projection of her own insecurities. With the color of Cas’ cheek, she guessed the woman was happy. She’d always trusted her cousin’s instincts towards people when they were kids. She’d have to trust it now.

The Security Chief was right. This was a different type of ship than Juliet every could have imagined.

Jewels
Sec/ RTF
(picking her jaw up off the floor… least her cousin has good taste in men)

If she had been drinking she would have spit her drink across the room at Juliet’s reaction. “Yes the XO, that Cmdr Raauhl. Yes people know. They’ve suspected for awhile, but we’ve been…careful. Our jobs over lap a lot.” Then she glared at her. “Oh honey, you don’t think I’d let any man force me around, do you?” There was a slight edge there. Not towards Juliet, but something she hadn’t told her cousin about, but then it was gone. “Besides…ask around. Everyone knows I beat the crap out of him.” She grins. “We got into a very out of control sparing match. I won.” She glances at Juliet and can tells he’s not quite buying it. There is a whole lot more to that story. “I will never admit to this, but the way that man fights could start the Great Fire again all by himself.”

She puts her head down for a moment and groans. “I don’t think he would even know how to take advantage of rank. He’s…” She would never admit it to herself....but Juliet was aware she’s was going to have a field day teasing her cousin.
Lt. Synthi-er

Juliet’s reaction had been protective, not teasing. It didn’t cross her mind to tease Cas. At least, not at this point. “He’s… what?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand this ship.” The confusion behind the statement was almost comical. “I thought I was sent here as a punishment. A regimented ship made to remind me of my place. That’s actually what my last Counselor said, exactly. The Leviathan will remind you where your place is so you don’t forget it ever again. I don’t think they realize what you all have made of this floating bucket. I have an Orion Department Head who offers up her ear if I don’t wanna talk to the shrink, no offense meant. An XO dating my cousin, and an entire squad who’ll look the other way and not question being knocked on their butts by a psychic rage lash out.” She looked at Cas with a truly lost look on her face. “I keep thinking it’s all a trick to see if I’ll fall for it. To see if I’ll get relaxed like everyone here only to be told I’m wrong and I failed. I’m used to rules and regulations being pounded into me with every breath I give or take.”

Casela felt the protection behind the questions and it felt so familiar. It wasn’t to say that she hadn’t felt the same from other members of the crew, but there was nothing like the feeling of safety and protection that came from someone you had known your whole life. A person that you had shared the most intimate of secrets with and dreams so important that to whisper them to anyone else would destroy them and rip away their possibility. That same security that even decades later lets you remember who you were meant to be instead of who you turned out to be. “He’s…good for me. My life....I am so far beyond broken, Juliet, and he doesn’t care.” There was so much more she could say. But she had to remind herself that even if she was safe to tell Juliet, she never knew when and where Shadow Man might be listening. And though she didn’t care for herself, she would do what she could to keep Ryder, Juliet, and Gen out of the path of destruction that was her life.

She finally looked at Cas. “How do you do it? Is it a trick?”

Jewels
Sec/ RTF

Casela chuckled. “I don’t know how I do it. Is it a trick? Maybe, I’m still not sure. What I DO know is that this ship isn’t like others. We don’t stand on rank, but respect. As for my part I’ve judged each person and I can tell you they have earned whatever rank and position they have on this ship. But that’s my opinion. And everyone does the same. They will give you trust and loyalty because we all know what it’s like to have it taken. To be thrown to the wolves. But you have to keep it. Once you loose it…they aren’t so forgiving.” Casela shrugs, she was the same way and she was pretty sure Jewels was too. “Oh this ship will remind you of your place. We’re disposable. We are the flagship of the ARU and we go after the biggest, baddest, deadliest anomalies they can find. Oh we have skilled excellent officers and we get the job done. But if we die in the process the Brass don’t care. We had a containment breach....we lost....so many. Admiral’s orders: save the anomaly at all costs, no matter how many crew were lost.” Steel crossed her eyes and her features. “One day I’ll hand feed that admiral to Dave, and I’ll laugh while I do it.”

She patted Juliet’s arm. “Now, what you have to remember about Surda was she was an Orion pirate. On their ships, department heads are responsible for the mental health of their officers. It’s just the way they work. But you’ll find that most of the departments are the same way. And my counseling department is very very different as well. It fits the needs of the crew. I will tell you though, we may seem lax, but when it’s time to put up or shut up, no one is lacking and you’ll never find anyone who isn’t straight up to protocol. We’re different, we have to be, or we’d never have made it past our first mission. It takes a lot of getting used to. My suggestion, for what it’s worth, go watch, observe, listen, and then decide for yourself.”
Lt Synthi-er (How do I explain how it works when they did the same trick to me, and it worked?)

((Ummm kinda like that… lol))
Juliet nodded. “Surda said about the same thing. It just seems… I don’t know. Surreal I guess. I don’t know. I’m sure it’s all right. I mean, you’re here and you don’t seem to be warning me of anything. So I guess I just go with it and see what happens next.” She sighed and leaned back on the couch nearby, watching Cas as if trying to mentally fill in the last 20 yrs. “Seems strange. Sitting here with you, I mean. I can feel you in my head again like you never left. And we both went thru such different crucibles. Yet here we are.” She let a small laugh force its way to turning up the corner of her lip. “I wonder what dad would think. I know he’d be disappointed I lost rank the way I did. And I bet your dad would be quick to add his punishments to that, as well. But I also can’t help but think they’d be glad we ended back up together.” She hadn’t asked Cas about her folks, her own Aunt and Uncle. Somehow, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know they were lost as well. It wasn’t going to phase her if they were. She’d spent two decades believing it already. She just didn’t want it to actually be made true, now that Cas sat before her and her whole past was possibly a lie.

Casela nods, “I feel it to, and I’m not even trying. It’s like it’s always been there and can’t be turned on or off, it simply is. Your dad? He was always about protecting people. He loved you unconditionally. I think he’d listen and get the whole story before he decided if he was disappointed or not.” Casela hadn’t read the whole thing, why? Because she didn’t do Juliet’s onboarding and after that…she hadn’t wanted preconceived notions. As for my dad. If you ever get to go back, you can ask him. If he’s gotten better that is. Last I heard he was really sick, but mom’s fine.”

“So what do I call you? I mean, when we are at work so to speak. You’re my superior, and on top of that, the CNS of the ship. So do I use Ma’am or Lieutenant, or what?” She doubted she’d stop calling superiors ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir’. It was ingrained in her like breathing. But off duty, she would have to learn to be less formal. It would certainly take time.

Jewels
Sec/RTF

“Oh that’s a loaded question. Most everyone just calls me Casela. If someone actually used my rank I don’t think I’d notice.” Well that wasn’t quite true. Ryder called her Lt when they were on duty together. Cobb rank and name for official hoytie toytie stuff. “RTF teams we’re all the same. We defer based on position and expertise and tend to go by first names or call signs, for those that have them. It doesn’t matter to me. Whatever you are comfortable with. I am so against rank that if anyone caught you calling me by something official they’d take me to sickbay to see if I was sick. You do what makes you comfortable, Sorellina. Even if it’s Lala. Though that might take some explaining.”
Lt Synthi-er

Once more a look of horrified surprise passed over Juliet’s face. “I’d NEVER! Honest, Cas, I wouldn’t. That’s… that’s between us. No one else ever needs to know.” She was partially horrified that the childhood nickname, a crutch she had used as a child, would ever come to light as what had actually marked Cas as Cas and not some doppleganger. “As for the rest,” she shrugged, “I guess I’ll just figure it out and follow the others, as you said.” She gave a brief yawn and looked at the chrono on the table. “I’ve kept you pretty late. I’m betting Raauhl would like some time with you this evening. And I’m sure you have plenty to tell him.” She smiled with a glint of teasing in her eyes and stood up. Offering a hand to Cas, she nodded. “I’ll be ok. I promise. And you have my word, my Counselor or not, I’ll let you know when I’m not. If you come and do the same.” She knew the two of them needed someone to turn to that they were a hundred percent certain they could trust. At this moment, that was one another.

Jewels
Sec/RTF

“Relax, Juliet. I know you wouldn’t. I was just picking fun at myself.” She glanced at the chrono too and laughed. “Yeah I better go break into his room before he finishes his post shift walk through. If I’m not there he’ll send security out after me to make sure I’m not doing something worse than breaking and entering.” Casela laughed, totally serious. Ryder would, with a med team. She was known for getting into trouble. She grabbed Jewel’s hand and stood up. “We both will be, yes? And any time you need to talk. They keep me busy to keep me out of trouble, but I will always make time.” She hugged her, she had to, but it was quick. “I’ll come find you if I need you, as long as they haven’t thrown me in the brig before hand.”

Casela walked out the door and down the corridor. She took a deep breath totally aware of how unreal the current situation was. She took the turbo to deck 2 and stepped out. No Cobb, No Quinn and no Ryder to be seen. And there were no VIP guests on board right now. She moved down the corridor, hacked the lock on Ryder’s door, and slipped inside. She may or may not have beat him there.
Lt. Synthi-er


Posts on USS Leviathan

In topic

Posted since


© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service

Version 1.15.9