[USS Charon]
Blanketed by a yellow hue as the alert klaxons sounded Shiarrael left the bridge in the care of Eithne and entered the turbo lift. Bags had begun to crawl their way under eyes- she was tired. Irritated- and infuriated. It was hard to keep control. She wanted to march onto the holodeck and break the neck of every Vulcan within reach- although it would be a challenge. Her cousins were much less fragile then humans. She sighed and stared at the floor of the lift- this was so ridiculous. "Federation regulations" the words vibrated from her lips like a half-snarl. She felt like a feral Thrai, tame for the moment but always dangerous, never fully conquered. Then it hit her- maybe that is how Starfleet sees me? She grimaced. It was always so easy in the Galae. She could just throw anyone out an airlock. There would be questions of course but it was not an uncommon practice to toss fools out an airlock. However, here it was both illegal and abhorrent. Shiarrael shook her head slowly. The lift jolted slightly as the doors split open. She walked out, her destination set in her mind. When she reached the door she pressed the chime "Colonel Thorten, this is Captain Rehu. May I speak with you?"
Thorten had been keeping his eyes on the situation from a distance. He knew that something was up with the Vulcan's, they were all in the brig. Or at least they had been. He had heard the rumors that the Marine commander here had began to get himself involved in a relationship with the Second Officer. While that was against a few regulations, there probably was enough difference in the chain of command to avoid any major problems so far. If there was Sam would have to go have a talking to with his Lieutenant.
He was interrupted from his revelrie by the Captain hitting his door chime. This would be the second time he would have spoken with the captain. How odd that she was even coming to visit him. They had not had much to discuss which Sam had felt was a credit to his success. The door opened as Sam smiled at the Captain in a set of off duty clothing there as he motioned for her to come on in. "Of course Captain. What can I do for you now?"
"Get out here." Shiarrael ordered. She turned her back to him and started for the turbo lift "follow me." When she heard his footsteps rush to catch up to her she continued "you are here to observe me, correct?" It was rhetorical so she simply continued with her thought "Starfleet must keep an eye on this feral thrai- wise but bothersome. It would be unwise for me to beam Vulcan dignitaries into space I presume? Also unwise to dip their heads into an antimatter stream I would think- quite troublesome these regulations of yours. How can I possibly…" she paused for a moment and then continued "vent, yes that is the word that counselor used. How can I possibly vent?" She stepped into the open lift and turned around to face him as he walked up "I guess you will make a good alternative. You represent what aggravates me. We are going to the holodeck- a former marine should be good enough to spar with me- unless your years of servicing Starfleet have made you frail."
Sam raised an eyebrow but did not go into the turbolift. "If you want someone to beat up I'm sure the holodeck can make accurate representations of whomever you wish to beat up Captain," he said. "Whatever your problem is talk about it rather than getting irrationally violent about it," he said leaning up against the door frame of the turbolift. "And I'm more here to act as a liason between the marines and the fleet, because of the troubles that were present here before," he said. "Are you having trouble with the Marines here? Everything I've heard has indicated that things were going reasonably well."
"Hm." One of Shiarrael's brows arched curiously and immediately noting the reaction she moved quickly to smother it "Vulcans- they are driving me mad!" She looked at Thorten and shrugged "I do not intend to injure you mister Thorten- I simply need a sparring partner who is well acquainted with Starfleet. To discuss some issues…if I somehow smack you a couple of times it will simply be due to accident and nothing purposefully malicious." She took a step back "however- if you feel you'd be unable to keep up then I guess I will just have to ask one of the Klingons."
"So then what am I supposed to say to that Captain? That 'Oh clearly I must defend my own personal honor in this instance and stand up to become the source of venting for the Captain whenever she gets angry at something!' Yeah I think not, especially given the reports on how often you seem angry. I didn't get to be a Colonel by making stupid choices," he said. The rumors he had heard was that someone looking at her for too long would cause her to be angry. "What exactly have the Vulcan's done to you that's made you so mad. Besides being Vulcan's, I never have gotten along well with them either."
Unlike the other marines this one seemed to have more than air keeping his ears up. Shiarrael frowned slightly disappointed at the lack of reaction "I have not been around their kind long enough to understand completely what 'being Vulcan' is- but if that includes subterfuge and sending us to our deaths, than yes- but in this case may be more akin to Romulans no?" A feral smile crept onto her face "very well, if you have no interest in sparring with me, then we are done. You may return- to whatever it is you were doing."
Sam nodded. "Have a good evening then Captain," he said and moved back towards his quarters.
Shiarrael stood quietly for a moment as he walked away- she considered things. "Colonel- you were a fighter pilot correct? I looked through your records. I need your skills." She pressed the turbo lift's hold button "however, I express myself best during combat. Do you understand?"
"Correct. I've commanded several squadrons and wings," he said as he looked at her. He smirked as he shook his head. "Yes captain I understand," Sam said as he walked into the turbolift. "What era are we going to fight in? Modern or something a little more historical?"
"Do you have a preference?" Shiarrael asked- during all the chaos she had forgotten about the 'Shogun' program given to her. Though, at the moment anything would do.
"Do you like lost causes and insurmountable odds where if you fail your loved ones perish in flames and explosives?" Sam asked as he smiled slightly. He had brought along a Battle of Britain program and thought that this might be the best of times to try it out here.
"It sounds like a Klingon paradise- I'm genuinely intrigued." Shiarrael smiled; her mood was much less confrontational then earlier, although she was not the least bit sated. She stepped back as Thorten stepped into the lift and requested to be taken to the holodeck. When the lift moved she spoke in a low tone "the Vulcans have put us into a difficult situation. The reason for this mission was not to explore the stellar nursery as given to Starfleet by the Vulcan science council- instead they are seeking a ship they lost several years ago. It is a vessel capable of producing a wormhole. My people are vary aware of its existence. I don't believe I need to sketch this situation further? Needless to say we are in a difficult position." When the lift stopped she immediately stepped out of the lift, walked down the corridor- paused at suite one, looked at the playing program and then continued on to the second suite "I think I give this crew too much creative license…"
[To be continued…]
Captain Shiarrael Rehu
Commanding Officer
USS Charon
&
Colonel Sam Thorten
Starfleet Observer/Marine Ambassador
USS Charon
