STF

Side Sim - 10-F - A Mid-Night Snack (Tag Lieutenant Sheleah Ruby)

Posted Sept. 30, 2022, 11:09 a.m. by 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea (Security Officer) (M Lyon)

Posted by Lieutenant Sheleah Ruby (Diplomatic Officer / CNS) in Side Sim - 10-F - A Mid-Night Snack (Tag Lieutenant Sheleah Ruby)

Posted by 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea (Security Officer) in Side Sim - 10-F - A Mid-Night Snack (Tag Lieutenant Sheleah Ruby)

Posted by 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea (Security Officer) in Side Sim - 10-F - A Mid-Night Snack (Tag Lieutenant Sheleah Ruby)
Posted by… suppressed (15) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Eghimea walked into the 10-Forward with her normal emotionless face. She took a few steps into the spacious lounge and paused to take it in. The place was vast compared to the ship she had previously served upon. As her eyes danced from empty table to empty table, she was grateful for the graveyard shift she had been assigned. She didn’t mind serving among so many aliens, but at the same time she always seemed to feel their eyes upon her. Working alone allowed her time to continue her studies of Federation Law, Star Fleet Operations, and ship policies while at the same time serving her ship and crew.

With a rigid posture, she turned and walked over to a nearby replicator. “Hasperat, with Vihas Souse, warm please,” she said trying to conceal the tiredness from her voice. She took her dish from the unit as she ordered up a glass of water. Then taking both, she headed to a table on the far side of the lounge.

Hidden under layers of masks, was a woman exhausted. Still, she walked with her back straight and her head held high. Her eyes fixed on the table she always took at this very hour and minute. She didn’t need to keep searching the faces of those in the lounge. Of the Seracen’s six hundred crew, only a small percentage of them worked the graveyard shift with her. She knew all of them, well, knew of them.

As she slowly took her seat, she could feel their eyes on her. She knew if she turned to look, she wouldn’t catch them looking at her. Though she knew that they were watching her. Taking her seat, she slowly set her tray down perfectly centered on her seat and body. She didn’t mind that they kept their distance from her. Eghimea had found that speaking to most of these aliens was hard. She didn’t understand most if not all their customs. From the corner of her eye, she caught an ensign looking at his chrono just as she was about to take her first bite. There was laughter at his table as credits were exchanged.

She enjoyed the time alone. There were times where during her entire shift, she wouldn’t have to speak more than a dozen words. The rest of the time, she was able to become lost in her own mind. Many considered the graveyard a shift where careers go to die. On her own ship, it was a shift meant as honor. Who else but the most trusted could stand watch while everyone else slept in their beds. Despite the grumblings of others on the shift, Eghimea enjoyed the graveyard. After all, sleep was still a luxury that was often driven away by the dreams.

Eghimea didn’t allow herself to become distracted on the lack of sleep or the hours alone. The graveyard allowed her to focus completely on her duty and the alien woman she served. Lieutenant Commander Atoded was a task master with an eye on perfection. She wondered if the Commander knew how much she was like Eghimea’s own father in that regard. It was a pleasant surprise that Eghimea thanked the prophets for. Having to work for someone so close to what she was used to was refreshing.

Her wrist-mounted computer chimed, and she glanced down at it. It was a change in the duty assignments for the second half of her shift. She had been reassigned to Cargo Inspection. Her fellow Security Officers had often complained about Cargo Inspection. They had said how they hated the time-consuming and boring task. Among those on the graveyard, it was, according to them, the worst of the worst.

She concealed a smile at the edges of her lips. Cargo Inspection had become one of her most enjoyable tasks. One that she had turned in to a bit of a game. The rules were simple, if it wasn’t on the manifest or if there was a mistake in the manifest, it didn’t come on board. She often would suspect that the pilots of the visiting resupply shuttles were in on the game as well.

‘Probably not,’ she thought taking another bite. Though she did take a twisted bit of joy at their disappointed or outright angered looks when she would approach for their inspections. Sure, the transfer of cargo took longer, but nothing was missed or added. Each documentation that went past her eyes would be completed correctly by those pilots who would curse her name under their breaths. Not once had Starfleet’s rules or regulations been bent or violated. Eghimea felt a sense of pride that she would be entrusted with such an important duty.

2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Sheleah had become quite pleased with her new assignment. Adapting to ship’s culture was made much easier when she had a 30 pound feline at her side. He was, of course, the most adorable conversation starter.

Sleeping in new quarters never got easier since she refused to take sleep aids unless absolutely necessary. It usually took about two weeks of kava tea and relaxation techniques for everything to kick in properly.

Tonight she and rex had both felt restless so, after slipping in to some off duty clothes, Sheleah decided they were both due for a walk.

45 minutes later they had found themselves at 10 Forward. Perhaps she could drink her tea here and slip back into bed in a few minutes. Stepping in, it wasn’t hard to find an empty table. Smiling, she waved at a few people while ordering her refreshments and snacks.

From the edges of her perception, Eghimea watched Sheleah enter the lounge. It was not that she meant to be rude or untrusting. The new motion in the area drew her attention like metal shavings to a magnet. Her eyes barely moved from her meal, though her attention was keenly on Sheleah. She took a bite of her Hasperat while the sounds of pleasant greetings filled her ears.

As she made her way back tot he table she had selected she saw Eghimea and stopped to say hello.

It was a strange sight for Eghimea to behold as the alien woman and her strange four legged ‘friend’ were moving across the area. She had often heard that animals would reflect the mannerisms of their owners. Eghimea found this very fitting regarding Sheleah and her pet, Rex. The pair moved with grace that drew smiles and waves from the other crewmembers. To Eghimea, Sheleah had this natural ability to cause the people around her to relax. It was something that caused Eghimea to always be amazed by the blond-haired alien.

“Good evening, morning. I hope I’m not intruding.”

  • Sheleah

Eghimea gave a soft smile, and a nod of greetings. Though like all other expression she offered, it was only skin deep. Just another mask that Eghimea had been taught to wear. “You are not intruding, Lieutenant Ruby,” she said with a formal yet soft voice. Despite the casual appearance, Eghimea figured that these polite formalities would be better until asked to be dropped.

She motioned to the empty seat across from her, “you both are welcomed to join me.” The offer was genuine. Eghimea enjoyed her time spent with Sheleah. The blond-haired alien made her feel comfortable within her own skin. That she did not have to wear as many masks around Sheleah. Though her logical mind attributed this to Sheleah’s special powers of ‘relaxing’ her victims before probing their minds.

This stray thought caused Eghimea to smile inwardly as she just as quickly dismissed it. “I can have a Hasperat created for you,” she offered then added, “if you two are hungry.”

2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Sheleah shook her head and smiled as she set down her tray.

“Kava tea with ginger for sleep. Apples with peanut butter because it reminds me of home and was one of the constants even when we travelled. Warm fish because Rex has been a very good boy today.”

Sheleah slid into the seat and arrange her tray so that the two of them could eat comfortably. Rex barely fit on her lap anymore but that never stopped him from trying.

As Sheleah was taking her seat and getting comfortable, Eghimea gave a soft yet professional smile. “This has been my favorite take on Hasperat since I was a little girl,” she stated as she motioned to the wrap. “My brother Breeje created it when we were both younger. He would use a different style of wrap instead of a flour-based one. A mixture of peppers along with other diced fresh vegetables were used instead of pickled vegetables.” She looked down at the green wrap with a sad look. “I remember the times we would be in the kitchen of the Örlagaríkur.” Eghimea fell silent for a moment as she smiled with sadness in her eyes.

She had long given up trying to hide her emotions from the alien woman across from her. After all, she learned during their first meeting that the alien was some kind of mind reader. Not that she was offended by the alien gazing into her mind. Afterall, Eghimea felt a sense of relief from the weight of her masks while around Sheleah.

“He would make us both Hasperat just like he used to back home while we would talk for hours,” she explained. “You see, he had a way of making the Night Watch pass during long patrols.” She paused a moment before adding, “that was before he became the Captain.”

“So are you a night owl or is it just a shift thing?” she asked attempting to initiate pleasant conversation.

  • Sheleah

“It is the shift I have been assigned,” she said stiffening her back with pride. “In the BSG,” she said speaking of the now dissolved Bajorian StarGuard, “serving Night Watch is a posting of pride and a show of trust.” She smiled with genuine happiness, “who else is more trusted than those who are to stand watch while everyone else sleeps.”

2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Sheleah thought about that for a few seconds as she chased a glob of peanut butter around on her small dish with an inadequately thin slice of apple. She could have had the replicator make them thicker but mom and daddy had always cut them very thin so that’s just how sheleah had learned to make them.

Eghimea watched the blond-haired alien seemingly playing with her food. It was a strange pasty brown thing. Though she had to admit the smell of what ever it was, was alluring. Still, in those brief moments, she wished she was a mind reader like the alien was. She wondered what things this woman was thinking.

“I can see where that would definitely be a point of pride. Protecting people and valuable objects when they are at their most vulnerable could definitely be seen as an honorable duty.”

  • Sheleah

Eghimea was taken back a bit by the response, though wasn’t completely surprised by it either. “I have found that what I know of the Federation is not completely accurate,” she stated softly. “What would you consider honorable duty, Lieutenant Ruby?” She asked softly. “Surely not a firry death filled with glory, during the heat of combat,” she added mocking a very Klingon response.

-2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Sheleah wrinkled her nose, shifted positions, and finally set Rex in another chair.

Eghimea watched with curiosity as Sheleah moved the animal around as if it was her own child.

“I’ve about had enough of your mischievous behavior.” she whispered to Rex as she pushed his plate in front of him. He shifted positions to have both front paws on the top of the table and began nibbling the fish.

The interaction between animal and alien was as confusing as it was curious. She spoke to him as if it could understand her and it reacted accordingly. ‘The powers of this telepath are truly beyond understanding,’ Eghimea thought to herself then added, ‘nor should they be underestimated.’

Sheleah looked back at Eghimea and smiled.

“I’ve come to realize that honorable duty is whatever makes you proud of yourself and usually serves the greater good of your community so, for me, what might be honorable duty would not be the same as what it is for you.”

  • Sheleah

Eghimea frowned as she listened. ‘Community,’ she thought as the word rested heavy on her consciousness. “I have been raised to serve my community,” she said trying to, and failing to, hide the sadness in her voice. “My family is well known for their selfless service to the Prophets, Bajor and her people.” Her words echoed the deeper wound left on her spirit. She drew in a breath and renewed her attempt to conceal the emotions. “Service here, for the Federation,” she said speaking with pride, “is where the Prophets have placed me. It is their will that I serve. So, in serving the Federation, Starfleet and the Saracen is, by your definition, honorable.” She tried to smile away the last remnants of negative emotions that had caught her by surprise.

She looked around the lounge with a mixture of wonder and fear in her eyes, “I’ll say, what the Prophets have tasked me to do is challenging. Short of rare visits to Deep Space Nine, I’ve never seen so many different aliens.” She paused as her eyes wondered over the lounge as she continued speaking, “let alone been in such proximity to them.” She leaned back in her chair as her eyes were brought back to Sheleah. Her lips coiled into a slight smile as a hint of laughter tainted her otherwise formal voice, “in fact, our conversations are some of the longest conversations I have had with any alien.”

Almost as if catching herself, “I apologize. I didn’t mean to offend you, Lieutenant.”

  • 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Sheleah smiled back at Eghimea.

“Oh don’t worry, you’re not offending me. My family travelled quite a bit so maybe I’m kind of used to hearing a lot of people’s interpretations of our multi-cultural society. My father’s an ambassador and I think we even spent a little time in DS-9 but, I was really young and honestly don’t remember much.”

  • Sheleah

Eghimea tilted her head, “I wasn’t very fond of Deep Space Nine.” There was a slight shiver that started at her shoulders then ran down her back. In her mind, she could see the vast memories of her visits to the station playing out in vivid rapid succession. “I always felt overwhelmed when we would put in there for resupply or shore leave. My Cousin, Domiha, used to say that I would get overwhelmed because I was so a tuned to everyone. My brother would just call it my overworked nerves.”

She paused a moment as she considered her next set of words. There was a clear moment of thought before she began speaking again. Her eyes narrowed in on Sheleah, carefully taking in every shift in expression as she spoke. “I have read about Ambassador Ruby and your mother Elizabeth. I found your mother’s work on the T’Pau Case while your father navigated the multi-cultures of Qualor very intriguing. At the end of the day, they made a courageous team bringing those smugglers and their conspirators to justice. I am sure you are very proud to be their daughter.”

  • 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Sheleah was a little surprised that Eghimea had read such and old article. Personally, she hadn’t thought about it in years but, it was out there for everybody to see so why not?

Eghimea had noticed that Sheleah was taken back by the statement. It caused her to wonder if the blond-haired alien had assumed that Eghimea wouldn’t have been thorough. The surprise seemed to be fleeting. Eghimea felt that this was another testament to the superior social skills of this blond-haired alien.

“Well… Yeah. I’m proud to be their daughter. I think I’ve inherited a little fo the best and worst qualities of both of them.”

She paused and scooped up a bit of peanut butter on one of her dwindling apple slices.

“They weren’t quite as involved as that article might make it seem but, yes, they did do everything that it said and they looked good for the press.”

  • Sheleah

Eghimea smiled and nodded, “the article did a good job of reflecting their involvement. There were other articles of course, but this one seemed to stand out. Though you shouldn’t dismiss their chosen field of battle.”

She took her finally bite and took her time a savor the flavor before washing it down with a glass of water.

Eghimea continued only after ensuring that her mouth was clear of drink and food, “when I was a little girl, my brother and I would sit around the fire while my father told us stories of the occupation and the fight for freedom.” She smiled fondly, “those stories seemed so fantastic, I would sit there on my knees with eyes filled with wonder.” She leaned back in her chair, “I would go to bed with images of far-off worlds, and heroes battling monsters that lurked in the shadows of my room.”

  • 2nd Lieutenant Laju Egimea

Sheleah thought this was very telling of Eghimea and, at the same time, was glad this wasn’t an actual counseling session. She knew that children responded to their parent’s successes in various ways but, what must it have been like for Eghimea growing up in the time and place that she did? Sheleah’s childhood was basically tame comparatively speaking. She had travelled quite extensively because of her parent’s work but had always assumed herself to be fairly save. Perhaps that wasn’t the case. Children didn’t often realize these things until much later.

“Oh no no, I’m not dismissing their work. You see, they always felt it was just a normal day for them. I know that they were very pleased with their careers but, I guess you’d say, they weren’t the celebratory type. No, I was always proud, still am.”

Eghimea’s eyes shifted over to Rex as the strange little creature was eating the last of his food. It was still something that she couldn’t get used to. Back on the Örlagaríkur such wasteful use of resources would surely be frowned upon.

The Örlagaríkur had been an old Hucul Class built by the Federation with many decades of service before it was mothballed and later sold for scrap. Much of its advanced technology had long been removed before the Bajoran StarGuard Command had bought them as surplus. Originally, StarGuard Command had bought six of the old corvettes, but three were deemed not space worthy after purchase.

The remaining three had been gutted and what ever parts and weapons the SGC could get their hands on, were installed on the three ships. Due to funding issues and the disbandment of the Bajoran Militia, the refit and repairs of the three ships had been inherited by the people of the Kendra Province and became a community project.

The project was a matter of pride, and like all teens from the province, much of Eghimea’s childhood training at the academy was spent repairing and getting familiar with the ship that would later become the Örlagaríkur. Despite their best efforts, and with some advanced technology not being available, these ships were a far cry from the height of their service. That didn’t stop them from being launched and proudly serving as short-ranged patrol craft.

Lacking replicators, this meant that what supplies the three SGC ships took with them, were all that they had. And while that meant that the crew enjoyed freshly made meals due to a full-time chef assigned to each of the three ships, it also meant that such luxuries like pets were just not feasible. ‘Or practical,’ Eghimea thought as she watched Rex eat.

‘These Federation types are wasteful with their resources,’ she thought to herself.

Sheleah looked down at her nearly empty cup of tea and decided not to order the second.

  • Sheleah

Taking note of Sheleah’s shift in attention, Eghimea checked her own wrist mounted computer on her left forearm. Like a switch being flipped, her mind started to calculate the travel time to her next task. She had time to get to her next task with a few minutes to spare. She couldn’t understand the shift in behavior.

‘I’m not running late,’ she thought in confusion. After a moment it dawned on her. ‘Sheleah and her pet, Rex, were not used to being awake at this hour,’ Eghimea thought to herself.

With a nod of understanding, “you must be very tired, Lieutenant,” she said softly. “My next assignment today,” she explained considering her overnight shift being just another day in her duty, “is in the hanger deck. Cargo Transfer Inspections can be rather enjoyable. There are so many different areas that a mistake can be made. Bad labeling, a typo in the transfer documentation, or even items without documentation are just a few. Finding and correcting them is like a scavenger hunt.” She frowned slightly, “though I don’t think my team, or the pilots take as much enjoyment from them as I do.”

  • 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Eghimea felt her wrist computer vibrate, and she looked down at the device. A message scrolled across it.

From: Lieutenant Colman
Subject: Inbound Bolian Shuttle

2nd Lieutenant Laju,

The incoming shuttle is less than an hour out. Their request has been filled and waiting for their pickup in Shuttle Bay two. You will find all the necessary documentation for their supply request attached to this email. I want the shuttle loaded and departed on schedule this time, 2nd Lieutenant.

That's an order,

Lieutenant Colman

She turned the device off and returned her full attention back to Sheleah.

Sheleah finished her cup and set it down. Sighing, she realized how tired she was actually getting. Sweet Rex would probably end up falling asleep on her lap any minute now.

Eghimea could see that her councilor was growing weary by the moment. She blinked with a slight bit of confusion. ‘If she is tired, then why not simply state the obvious,’ she pondered then added, ‘unless.’

Fears of misunderstanding some cultural cue or nuance started to rase within her mind.

“I always enjoyed scavenger hunts. Everytime we moved to a new place we would make unpacking a scavenger hunt. What box had this or that in it and who could find it first.”

Trying desperately to go through her memories for something that she might have missed, she gladly took the slight diversion about games.

“Games of mental skill have always been part of my life,” she said hidden behind her facial and emotional masks. “Ever since my father found out that I was very good at them, he forced me to learn them. He would insist that I mastered those of our allies, such as Kal-toh and Strategema. The former being my absolute favorite. I have found that regardless of the situation, one can always find patterns. Even in purely randomness, there are patterns that can be found if one searched hard enough.” Her voice was filled with a heavy sense of fondness and comfort as she spoke of patterns. She continued, “my father even forced me to master games of our hated enemy, such as Kotra.”

She paused a moment to take a drink then continued, “I love games. They exercise the mind. As much as I was taught such games, physical games were also required learning for all of us young cadets. The idea by our instructors, was to train the spirit, mind, and body.” Eghimea fell silent to allow the conversation to continue naturally.

Pausing, she looked at Eghimea.

“If it makes you comfortable to use my rank, then by all means do so but, when were not in a diplomatic situation, I’m just Sheleah.” she expalined.

It had taken her a while to realize Eghimea had been doing that and she wasn’t certain if there was a meaning or if she was just tired.

  • Sheleah

Eghimea nodded with a smile, “then Sheleah it is, ma’am.” She finished off her water and set the cup down, “my brother used to always make fun of me because I couldn’t,” she motioned to the lounge, “read a room.”

The she motioned back to Sheleah, “while I am grateful for your company, I sense that you are becoming tired.” She said holding back any hints that she was more than grateful. As much as she hated to admit it, this short conversation had become a cherished oasis in a desert of loneliness. Something she hadn’t given herself opportunity to feel, till this moment.

“I have time before my next task,” she said softly. “If you require assistance, I can escort you two back to your quarters,” she offered.

A wave of guilt suddenly washed over her followed by a sensation of foolishness. ‘How desperate can I possibly be,’ she wondered.

2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea


Posts on USS Saracen

In topic

Posted since


© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service

Version 1.15.9