Warrior's Mess (Part 1 of 10)

Posted on 30 Apr 2015 @ 6:37pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant JG Emmarie (E'Ma'ri) & Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen M.D. & Ensign Jaana Voutilainen & Lieutenant Commander Dea Mialin & Commander Andreus Kohl & Ensign K'os Beaumont & Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy & Lieutenant Min Zhao & Commander Norvi Stace & Commander Luke Wyatt & Lieutenant Jared Nicholas & Lieutenant JG Grayson Jones & Lieutenant Benice Gyce Ph.D.

3,369 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Episode 08 - NIMBUS
Location: IKS CharghwI' - Deck 18, Dining Hall
Timeline: MD 01 - 2200 hrs

[ON]

Down on Deck 18 in the heart of IKS CharghwI', the loud and boisterous laughter and commotion of the Warrior's Mess could be heard reverberating down any nearby corridor. The hour was late and -- as was typical for most Klingon vessels -- those crew who had just finished their shifts had headed to the recreational food area to gorge themselves, drink, sing, and spar. Such was life aboard any Klingon warship, and it served as their primary method of relaxation.

Tonight, however, was a special evening, one which included the addition of their Starfleet guests who had graciously been invited to partake in a diplomatic dinner. But despite the eloquent terminology, said diplomatic function was no different than any Klingon dinner in the mess hall except that it now included a plethora of Federation members who at first glance seemed terribly out of place. Having started to beam over to the Negh'Var-class in small waves over the past fifteen minutes, the Starfleeters had slowly trickled into the dining area and there were now about fifteen present compared to the hundred or so Klingon crew. The accommodations were tight in the large room, but there was fortunately space for everyone who had decided to indulge themselves for the evening.

The room itself, dark and hazy with deep red ambient lighting and a strong odor of musk, bloodwine, and raw meat, was surprisingly inviting, and upon entering the chamber with her fellow Atlas crew, Lirha had found the dining hall to be easy to navigate and exciting to spend time in. After all, it wasn't every day that a Starfleet admiral and her crews were invited to witness Klingon culture first-hand, and she found it a refreshing change of pace from Galileo's tiny and comparatively quiet mess hall.

There were three general areas of the Warrior's Mess, each partaking in their own activities. The primary and largest was the banquet arena which occupied the center of the room and encompassed several long tables where personnel could sit down to eat. There were multiple varieties of fresh gagh, along with Klingon octopus, jInjoq bread, bahgol soup, and TKnag hooves being served from the buffet table.

To the far right, near the wall, was the drink and song area where a large group of ten Klingons were currently chugging goblets of bloodwine and yelling drinking anthems. "'ej HumtaH 'ej DechtaH 'Iw, 'ej Doq SoDtaH ghoSpa' Sqral bIQtIq!" echoed across the entire area.

And to the left, in the most secluded section of the room, was the ritual area where several inebriated warriors were already challenging each other to such games as the B'aht Qul and also participating in proper weapon-less sparring.

Lirha herself had been one of the first to arrive almost 20 minutes ago and was quite content to sit in the buffet area and indulge in the delicacies of Klingon cuisine. Unlike many in the Federation, she actually enjoyed the taste of gagh, especially when it was seasoned and served with grapok sauce, and she now found herself with a large bowl of the giant squiggly live worms in front of her and began to take one at a time and delicately munch on them.

Allyndra had actually been eager to get to the Klingon ship. As soon as she beamed aboard she had sniffed the air and remarked even this far away from the mess hall. "Hmm....is that a 2309 vintage I detect?" The warrior that was working the panel peered at her slim frame and laughed deeply. "The general brought out the best. You have a nose for fine things but it is potent!" Allyndra only smiled. It was one beverage she enjoyed and she had built up a surprising tolerance to the stuff.

Wintrow felt nervous; he'd never been on a Klingon ship but he had been eager to go and have a look. He hoped he'd get a chance to get a look at the ship's navigational controls. Just a look, he just wanted to see how much different it was from a starship. But the Klingons were so large! How was he going to work up the courage to even chat one up?

Naois on the other hand looked around with interest, though he was wary. As far as he knew, Klingons were less than hygienic and he would watch out for the food. He wondered, much like the half Vulcan woman who'd transported in from the Aventia, if any vegetarian food would be available at all. Yet, the doctor worried most for those with food allergies, himself included.

Emmarie entered the Mess with a confidence in her bearing that was entirely faked. Internally, however, she was rather conflicted. Klingon culture had some similarities to Orion culture, with the passion and the violence. She was still dwelling on the matter of her family's dubious accomplishments in the realm of enslaving their own kind.

She knew how to fake a confident bearing, though, and she looked around with her head held high, and her back straight. Her eyes eventually came to rest of Lirha. She knew the other Orion was assigned to Galileo and that she would eventually need to speak with her, but she wasn't quite ready to do it just yet.

When Tuula entered with Jaana by her side, she looked around the room. She was slightly nervous, knowing the traditional Klingon attitude towards her condition. But, she resolved to not let it bother her. And, she had more important matters to attend to. Her hair, makeup, and nails had all been professionally done, and she aimed to attract attention. Not just any attention though, attention from a certain crewmate. Unfortunately, Olsam had yet to show up, so it was just her and Jaana for now.

Dea entered the gathering. From the very diverse group it would be an interesting evening. Making her way over to where the food area Mialin took a moment to just look around.

Drusilla moved into the room, a certain eagerness over her features as her eyes searched through the people present. She had been trying to reach Markum since their separation but each time she opened a comm channel she either got a call and had to leave or he got a call and had to leave. It seemed that faith was starting to play a game with them and she wasn't certain how it made her feel.

In the antechamber, the form of Andreus Kohl materialized amid the shimmer and hum of a Star fleet-style transporter. Although his black-and-white dress uniform was pristine, his beard was growing long and his hair was mussed, as if he had just stepped off a windswept battlefield. "I hope you're hungry," Kohl remarked to his companion. The nurse in him coerced him to add, "Not that I would endorse skipping a meal, but I hope you're hungry."

"Oh I am." K'os said to Kohl, though he was already inspecting the corridor walls with his hands. His eyes were wide as he took in the differences over the Federation design on Galileo. He tore his attention away from his inspection and smoothed his new Officer's dress uniform. He felt different enough wearing it that it made him feel slightly exposed. K'os wasn't one for drawing attention to himself. His hand went up to the Ensign pip on his collar and he smiled before dropping his hand and speeding past Kohl to find the source of the food smells now wafting through the corridor. His exuberance was stalled just before he entered the gathering. He knew there'd be people, but his introverted nature balked at the reality of there being so many people. He took a step back but found himself stopped by Kohl's larger frame. "That's a lot of people." He whispered over his shoulder to the man.

Kohl brought his hands to rest on top K'os shoulders. Kohl could feel the calming change his hands bring to K'os' posture. Kohl lowered his lips to near K'os' ear, and he spoke softly: "K'os, if you're ever feeling like there's too many people, or even one-too-many Klingons, I want you to look at me. Look right at me. Pretend I'm the only one here with you."

"I can do that." K'os said matching Kohl's soft tone. Indeed, that wouldn't be hard to do at all. K'os already stared at Kohl enough as it was. With a beard like the Argelian's, how could you blame the hybrid.

Abruptly, Kohl firmed up his grip on K'os' shoulders, and spun the slighter man to face him. "K'os, something shiny has blinded me," Kohl declared. He could barely enunciate through the beaming grin that took up roughly 50% of the real estate on Kohl's face. "What is that beautiful thing on your collar?" he asked.

"Surprise." K'os said in a small voice. His pale cheeks had turned red out of modesty and he looked down at Kohl's chest with a dimpled grin. "I've been thinking of taking the officer's exam for awhile now. Before...things had gotten hectic I guess." He looked back up at Kohl's face. "It was why I was doing so many academy courses, just in case I changed my mind. I think I felt it was time I did something for myself for once, so I went for it. Admiral Saalm graded it today."

Encircling him in his arms, Kohl embraced K'os. At first, it was a warrior's bear-hug worthy of the Klingon flagship, and then he simply held K'os close to his chest. "K'os, you have my highest acclaim," Kohl said. He wanted to say more, to say how this reflected K'os service to the ship. In all honesty, Kohl didn't know much about the duty K'os performed in engineering, and he couldn't lie to K'os. Instead, what Kohl said was, "What will you do for your next performance? Take over engineering? Take my job in Science?"

When K'os had been taken into the hug a burst of emotion made him gasp as if being hit in the stomach, but he muffled it into Kohl's shoulder. He left his face there, pressed into the crook of the taller man's neck and collarbone. To demonstrate his appreciation he wrapped his arms around Kohl's back and lifted him onto his toes briefly before lowering him back down. He let go and looked Kohl in the face, "I'm not that ambitious."

"No, you're right. I'm being foolish," Kohl said. He shook his head and he spoke as if he were chiding himself, but he was intentionally over-egging it to be funny. Kohl linked arms with K'os and tugged at him to follow into the Warrior's Mess. "You'll have Admiral Saalm's job by winter solstice."

Min materialized in one area of the Klingon mess deck. She wasn't much for these diplomatic functions, the Klingons always seemed way too boisterous and loud for her tastes. But as a department head on a Federation ship, she at least had to make the best effort she could. Drink and challenges weren't her style so food it had to be.

As the blue hue faded from her vision, Stace clasped a grip around her stomach as the smells and atmosphere flooded her senses. It was different to anything the Trill had experienced before. It wasn't unpleasant to her, just so different. She paused, took in another breath and smiled amusedly. Spying some friendly faces, she made a move to join them.

Luke arrived still wearing a smug smile, he always found a chaotic comfort when he spent any time with Klingons especially aboard their own ships they were as close to a Marine he'd been with in months since he joined the Galileo officially and as Department head.

As a small child, Grayson had been used to being paraded round various diplomatic functions and had earned the subtle skill of blending into the background, he had been there for several minutes before anyone had noticed him really.

Jared didn't care for parties that much, especially the kind where you had to dress up in silly costumes. And he considered his dress uniform a silly costume, even though it still fit him well and when he replicated a new one he didn't have to get a large size.

He would have begged off, if he hadn't known that Min was going to be there. He'd been searching for the better part of twenty minutes before he found her. Spotting her he weaved and dodged until he came up to her. "You're be best looking thing here my bride," he said with a smile.

Min gave Jared a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. "Missed you too hun." Min whispered something in his ear that made Jared blush. She grinned and bobbed her head at the food. "Go see what's considered a Klingon delicacy?"

"I'd rather have you, but that would probably create quite a scene, so perhaps I should some of the Klingon goodies." Jared said to her.

Min grinned. "When the exercises are over lover, you'll have more then enough time. For now let's grab some of that food.

"I guess that will do for now," he conceded.


Dining Hall - Buffet Area

"Come on, Jaana," called out Tuula, pulling on her sister's hand. "I heard they have Klingon Octopus, it's my favourite!"

Jaana sighed. She told herself that she wasn't going to eat too much at this event, but Tuula wasn't making it easy on her. Looking around the room, she could see dozens of pairs of Klingon eyes falling on her sister -- and probably not because of her stunning makeover. She had read about the traditional Klingon attitudes towards disability, and wondered if Tuula was focusing on the food in an effort to avoid the stares. Regardless, she soon found herself reluctantly following her sister towards the food table.

As she arrived at the table, Tuula looked around. "Where's the octopus?" she asked, looking up at a two metre tall Klingon warrior with a tentacle in his hand while Jaana cringed.

Turning towards the two women, he gave them a look of disdain before silently pointing towards a barrel next to the table. "If it is too fresh for you, we have some gagh-flavoured baby food," he said before laughing to himself and walking away.

"I love octopus, but thanks anyways!" exclaimed Tuula, turning away from him and towards the barrel. As she lifted the lid, the odor of blood wine wafted up from the barrel and filled her nostrils.

"I think he made a mistake," whispered Jaana, not wanting to attract any more attention from the big burly Klingons.

"No mistake," replied Tuula. "I've read about this, but always wanted to try it," she added before reaching her arm into the barrel and grabbed an octopus by the tentacle. The large sea creature was alive, but stunned from having spent the last hour swimming in blood wine. Grabbing a knife off the table with her other hand, she slashed at the tentacle in her hand, separating it from the body and allowing the remainder of the octopus to drop back into the barrel of booze. "Don't worry, they're too drunk to feel anything," she said to Jaana, holding the still-squirming tentacle in one hand and the knife in the other. "Would you like a piece? It's very fresh!"

Lirha wandered over to the buffet table with her bowl of gagh in one hand while searching for some jInjoq bread to chew on and relieve some of the spice in her mouth. She hadn't originally noticed Tuula and Janna's arrival, but she now stood next to the two sisters and took notice of the octopus in the chaired-woman's hand. "An excellent choice," she said to her with approval.

Tuula nodded back. "Thank you," she said, as the still squirming tentacle nearly escaped from her grasp, forcing her to grip it tighter.

"Good evening," Dea greeted Lirha and the others briefly as she decided what she wanted. This was a final chance to relax before the exercise officially started full force.

"Ma'am," Wintrow replied politely, while scanning the food table. He wasn't sure whether he wanted anything at all, especially when most of it seemed to be still alive one way or another.

Nodding to Wintrow, "If you haven't had Klingon food before I'd suggest taking it easy." Pointing out a few dishes that were palatable and not too harsh. "Other than that enjoy the evening its sure to be entertaining."

"I'll try ma'am," the boy replied, clearly intimidated by the sight of the much larger Klingons.

Min grabbed a plate and looked over the assembled food. Nothing was particularly appealing but having read up on the typical menu choices, Min had settled on at least trying the Bregit Lung, Pipius Claw, and Heart of Targ. Blood Pie was definitely off though perhaps a little gagh she would try to at least say she had.

Jared was not especially squeamish when it came to food, though he did prefer food that was actually dead, but he wasn't afraid to try new things. So he took some of everything.

From a distance, Gyce ate her gagh in silence. But those piercing eyes were ever keen to observe the people around her. Klingons were predictably honorable. A weakness that was exploitable on a battlefield. The humans, however, were very offensive by majority. They did not stomach gagh well. It was something that honestly had to be stomached through several meals.

The wiggling all the way down of her esophagus did sometimes make Gyce nauseated, but this was a diplomatic function. She willed herself to keep the no nonsense persona she was known for.

K'os made his way to the buffet table practically vibrating with anticipation. Somewhere along the way he'd grabbed the largest plate he could find and was looking over the food adding small portions of various foods. Some he knew by name only, others he was selecting based on their smell. He added pipius claws, krada legs, and other foods he didn't even know the name of. "What else should we try?" He looked at Kohl with raised eyebrows and leaned in and said quietly so as to not offend any nearby Klingons, "Except maybe whatever that is. The smell makes me think my stomach wouldn't be very happy later.." It was clearly K'os' first time having having Klingon cuisine and his curiosity was definitely peaked. Though a part of him was also probably trying to impress Kohl.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

RADM Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Atlas

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
Commanding Officer
USS Chronos

Ensign T'Vanna Murray
Chief of Operations
USS Aventia

Lieutenant j.g. Naois Mercy
Chief Medical Officer
USS Nautilus
[PNPC T'Vanna]

CPO Tyrion Faye
Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

Cadet SO Wintrow Paragon
Helmsman
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy
Assistant Chief Counsellor
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (JG) Tuula Voutilainen
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign K'os Beaumont
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Commander Andreus Kohl
Executive Officer
USS Nautilus

LCDR Allyndra Warraquin
First Officer
USS Galileo

LTJG Luke Wyatt
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

CPO Keval Grayson
Operations Officer
USS Galileo

LTJG Grayson Jones
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

LTJG Emmarie
Asst. Chief Operations Officer
USS Galileo

PO2 Eva Kovalev
Propulsion Specialist
USS Galileo
[PNPC Zhao]

LCDR Norvi Stace
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

ENS Janna Voutilainen
Stellar Cartographer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Olsam Mott, M.D.
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Crewman Apprentice Sigrid Thelin
Scientist's Mate
USS Galileo
[PNPC K'os Beaumont]

LTJG Benice Gyce
Security Investigations Officer
USS Galileo

LCDR Dea Mialin
Commanding Officer
USS Aventia

LT Jared Nicholas
Linguist
USS Galileo

LT Min Zhao
Chief Operations Officer
USS Galileo

AMB Solene von Lanthen
Diplomat
USS Galileo
[PNPC Khnailmnae]

CDT Nesh Saalm
Scientist's Mate
USS Galileo
[PNPC Khnailmnae]

Arandon Khnailmnae
Botanist
USS Galileo

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