Causing a Scene

Posted on 20 Dec 2014 @ 1:44am by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Lieutenant Prudence Devin Ph.D.

2,499 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: Starbase 84 - Deck 21 Corridor
Timeline: MD 06 - 1520 hrs

[ON]

The woman frowned as the doors opened and she moved to stand sideways in them, to allow her 'appointment' to go past. Unlike usual, Prudence didn't wear her uniform. This had been an emergency appointment made after hours, so she wore a black skirt, black heels and a colourful top, with a touch more lipstick than she would wear on duty. "Please leave, Ensign Rodriguez," she stressed, again, her eyes cold.

The man moved past her, only to stop to face her when they were still touching. "But you have to sign my all clear! You have to, you stone-cold cow!"

Prudence Devin's face didn't move at the insult, if anything it seemed like she hadn't heard it. "Mr Rodriguez, I would no sooner let a child play in an airlock than to clear you for duty. I have set up an appointment with the base's counsellor. Seeking a second opinion is always a good idea, but I fear in this instance it was a waste of time."

He stepped closer, his fist clenched, ready to hit. But Prudence only looked at him, arching an eyebrow, her features and eyes cold. A warning. She was not helpless, she would not let him hit her. So he lowered his hand and sneered. "You're a piece of work..."

"So they tell me," she said, watching him step back. "Goodbye. I wish you all the best in the future..." she added, watching him go. Only when he turned the corner did she allow herself to sigh, with anger and frustration. "Damnation..." she breathed, shaking her head before looking up...and frowning at seeing an Orion female standing there. She gave her a quick smile, nodding. "I hate to cause a scene in public. My apologies."

Lirha had been on her way to the turbolift when she'd heard a nearby commotion outside of one of the starbase's offices at the end of the same corridor. And being the curious young Orion that she was, she'd headed off toward the sounds of the unfriendly banter just in time to see the end of what looked like an uncomfortable exchange between a young ensign and what appeared to be a doctor of some time. Possible a counselor, Lirha surmised due to the lack of a visible medical uniform. When the man had left after storming past Lirha while muttering obscenities under his breath that the other woman probably hadn't heard, the commodore couldn't help but raise her eyebrows with intrigue when the other woman finally addressed her.

"It would not be the first time I have seen such a thing," Lirha replied with a somewhat casual stance which indicated she was not terribly concerned with what she'd just seen. "I presume you are a member of Starfleet Medical? " She had overheard the 'clearance for duty' remark and assumed as much, but she could be wrong.

"Indeed I am...counsellor though," Prudence nodded and looked down over herself. "Although off duty, hence the lack of uniform..." she met the Orion's eyes before giving a small smile. "I am Lt. Prudence Devin. And I do apologise for this...scene. I prefer some things behind closed doors."

"It is alright, these things happen," said Lirha without much care before introducing herself. "Pleased to meet you, lieutenant. I am Commodore Saalm, mission advisor aboard USS Galileo and task group commander of Task Force 72-A." It was quite a resume Lirha had built up over the past couple years, and she hadn't really realized how formal her position sounded until she fully explained it.

Prudence smiled at that, surprised by how young Lirha looked. "It's a pleasure, Commodore," she said with a gentle nod. "I will have the pleasure of taking the role as Chief Counsellor onboard that ship."

"Oh?" The Orion cocked her head to the side and gave the woman an inquisitive look. "On board Galileo?" she asked to clarify. As far as she was aware, the ship already had three counselors...was it really necessary to have a fourth? Lirha's light green eyes darted from side to side for a brief moment while she pondered her question, then realized that with such competing egos aboard the vessel such those the Medical staff had recently displayed, that the tiny Nova-class might indeed need as many counselors as humanly possible.

"Yes," Prudence said and chuckled, seeing the woman's confusion. "Perhaps I could buy you a drink and you can tell me all the juicy gossip, Commodore?" she added that almost playfully. She liked seeing an Orion female in such a high rank. Her inner feminist was in fact thrilled.

"I am not really one for gossip, but...I rarely ever turn down an offer for a drink," Lirha answered with a friendly smile. It wasn't that Lirha didn't want to gossip, but rather that most of her gossip now involved command-level information which was classified to all but the highest-ranking Starfleet personnel. Gone were the days when she was the ship's captain and knew everything that was transpiring aboard Galileo. Instead, her days had been replaced by sitting in front of a LCARS terminal analyzing various situational and intelligence reports as well as dealing with copious amounts of paperwork. "Lead the way," she offered to the new brunette counselor.

"Of course, Commodore," Prudence said and started walking, knowing the quickest way to the nearest bar. She looked over at Lirha, with a small smile. "Are you on shoreleave now?"

Lirha moved in stride with the woman next to her and began to engage in small talk with her. "Not yet," she began to answer. She wasn't sure how much of Galileo's recent mission she wanted to divulge right off the bat, but decided to share at least a few of the funner details. "Currently the ship is undergoing decontamination from a recent tribble infestation. And the crew -- myself included -- has just been released from a brief quarantine."

"Oh dear..." Prudence shook her head, with a soft chuckle. "No matter what happens in the universe, there is two things we are always stuck with. The common terran cold and tribbles..." she led her to the bar and walked inside, heading to the bar.

Taking a seat on one of the bar stools next to the counselor, Lirha silently nodded in agreement. Tribbles, as cute as they were, had the ability to become a menace if left unchecked and free to roam, and her recent experiences with them aboard Galileo had shed a bit of insight into why the Klingon Empire had conducted an entire campaign to exterminate the fluffy creatures. Still though, she was quite fond of Gilgamesh and her other pet tribbles, and had no intentions of getting rid of them anytime soon, quarantine or not.

"Will Galileo be your first starship posting?" she asked Prudence, providing a change of subject.

"No," Prudence shook her head, smiling as she met her eyes. "It will be my third starship posting..." she motioned the bartender over, smiling gently. "Can I have a double scotch, neat. And the Commodore...whatever she wishes."

"Saurian brandy on the rocks, please," Lirha requested when the bartender's attention towards her. She waited a short while for her drink then gently poked at ice with the provided cocktail straw once it arrived.

"Third posting? What were your previous two?" the Orion proceeded to ask the counselor.

"USS Titan and USS Montgomery," Prudence said and held Lirha's eyes, arching an eyebrow. "Nothing too exciting either, I'm afraid. Montgomery was usually sent everywhere to do small bits and pieces. Hardly something to write home about."

The Orion wasn't too familiar with Montgomery but suddenly found herself intrigued at the mention of the famous Luna-class vessel. "USS Titan? You served aboard Admiral Riker's ship?" The tall bearded man was quite legendary throughout Starfleet, and Lirha remembered studying several of his combat maneuvers and after-action reports during her time in the Academy. They were required reading for all cadets.

She smiled, her eyes gentle as she waited for the drinks to arrive. She took a generous sip of hers, taking a slow breath. "Yes, I did serve on that ship. Although I was a mere Ensign back then."

Lirha waited for Prudence to continue and tell her all about the experience, and so she took a long swig of her brandy and waited. Then waited some more. "Well?!" she finally said with twinkling irises. "What was he like? What was the ship like?" Her admiration for the man was not very well hidden.

Prudence laughed warmly, looking over at her. "He's...quite a man. Charming. Commanding. He is good at what he does. He also knows it. The ship ran smoothly...I did not interact much with the Command Staff...I was just another counsellor."

"And did you ever 'counsel' him?" asked Lirha. She wasn't about to let the topic go without getting at least some inside information on the man, no matter how much the other woman downplayed her role on the ship. "He is very handsome for an older Human man..." she added wistfully.

She shook her head, with a small smile. "He's not that old," she said, teasingly. "At least from where I am standing. No, I never...I mean, he had...someone else to counsel him. I did once have a few drinks with him during shoreleave. Me and half the ship..."

It was then that Lirha remembered his wife, Deanna Troi, was the ship's chief counselor. No doubt she did all of his 'counseling', if it was even called that. The Orion sighed, wondering how convenient it must be to be married to a counselor and not have to report to official sessions or have prying minds stop by her quarters to questions her command methods. She took a long swig of brandy from her glass and let her thoughts return to the topic of relaxing. "Drinks during shore leave? Where and for how long?"

Prudence laughed, shaking her head. "So many questions! I...err...various starbases, from anywhere between an hour and several. I am afraid I could get a bit starstruck around him too. The Academy does that to anyone, and if not the history books do by now."

"Well, you are a lucky woman to have made his acquaintance," Lirha mused while she started to chew on a brandy-soaked ice cube from her glass. "Tell me about the ship itself. I have never served aboard a Luna-class but I hear they are impressive new vessels with ample science facilities." Not as impressive as Galileo's, of course, but then again, Lirha was quite fond of her little ship.

"Unlike the Galileo, it was...bigger. Just big enough for you to know all faces but not the names," she admitted, with a small smile. "I found it a smooth ride. Good facilities. Although I shared my office with my Chief, on another shift. Limited how I could...personalise it. Counsellor Troi and myself had different ideas about what created a good atmosphere for sessions." She paused, sipping her drink before smiling. "But as a ship it was comfortable. It's a recon science vessel as you know, so...very much geared towards the scientific side of technology."

The commodore nodded while she listened, then paused to take another sip of her drink and chew another ice cube before responding. The brandy she'd ordered was quite nice, and it was no doubt aged very well. "Yes, I would imagine so. Have you ever spent any time aboard a Nova-class?" she queried. Though the two ship classes had similar mission profiles, there were substantial differences between then and Lirha knew serving aboard such a small vessel could be a bit daunting at first for the inexperienced.

"Never," she admitted before meeting her eyes, a small smile on her lips. "But I know how to decorate small rooms, Commodore. I like to think I should be fine. Eventually."

"It is not as bad as everyone suggests. A bit smaller and cramped at times, yes, but nothing that takes more than a few weeks to become accustomed to," Lirha remarked. She remembered her first month aboard the ship had induced a bit of claustrophobia at first, but she'd managed to adjust well enough. "The crew has also taken the liberty of installing several additional recreational facilities in the lower decks. I think it helps relieve the tension and keep morale up."

"That...sounds brilliant," Prudence confessed with a warm smile, her eyes shining at the words. "In fact, it sounds positively sane to me. Remind me to pass the crew and nominate them for an award for maintaining people's...well, mental health."

Lirha nodded again and tilted her glass back into her mouth to procure another ice cube and finish off the last of her brandy in a rather speedy fashion. It just wouldn't do to let it sit and get watered down. "The bar is quite popular. Or so I hear," she commented in between chews. "I do not get the chance to spend much time down there but it is a crew favorite."

"Perhaps you should make the time," Prudence said and gave a small shrug. "Sometimes, being out socialising with others, it shows you what needs focusing on. In general."

"Perhaps," responded the Orion somewhat thoughtfully. It wasn't as easy as it sounded but it nonetheless wasn't impossible. She'd been spending most of her free time with her fiance as of late, and somewhere along the way, had lost touch with a few of her ship-board friends. A couple visits per week wouldn't hurt, she thought to herself. "You intend to visit the bar as well once we get underway?"

"Of course, Commodore. I consider it my second office already," Prudence said with a quick and warm smile, giving a nod at the words. "And now I will expect to see you there."

Lirha wasn't quite sure what she'd just gotten herself into. She liked to drink, of course, and also to socialize. But her role as mission advisor and her rank of commodore and task group commander meant there was a certain professional image she was expected to project, and she wasn't completely convinced hanging out at the bar with Galileo's crew every night would be the best way to present herself. Maybe one or two nights per week, but not every night.

"I will do my best to be there," she offered in reply.

"All I ask," Prudence said and chuckled, her eyes gentle. She didn't expect to see her often there, but if it was once or twice it was a victory. And Prudence was good with her lovely, small victories.

OFF:

--

Lt. Prudence Devin
Chief Counsellor
USS Galileo

CDRE Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

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