Interruption

Posted on 31 Oct 2015 @ 5:01am by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Lieutenant JG Nizan Rydit

1,100 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 1, Saalm's Quarters
Timeline: MD 05 - 0220 hrs

ON:

Nizan knew he should be asleep, but there was one more person he wanted to check in with. He tried to make himself look like he didn't just get off duty, but failed. Here goes nothing he thought, pressing the chime to the Admiral's office.

Deep asleep and curled up in her plush covers, Lirha's light green eyes slowly fluttered open after her ears registered the distinctive sound of her door chime echoing through her chambers. The Orion's first glance was towards the chronometer on her nightstand which, after a few blinks, registered as 0223 hrs. She furrowed her brow as the chime repeated, and sighted with malcontent at being waken in the middle of the night. This has better be important, she thought while slowly getting out of bed and slipping a night robe around her green, naked body before proceeding to the door. "Enter," she called out in a soft and sleepy voice as she approached her quarter's main entrance.

Nizan stepped into the room, clearing his throat. "Is this a bad time, admiral?"

"It is not the best," the rear admiral answered while squinting against the bright backdrop of the corridor revealed by the open doorway. "May I help you?"

Nizan moved so the door would close, before speaking up. "I can come back later, admiral."

Lirha fumed and grinded her teeth. Clearly the unknown man had wanted to speak to her, so much so that he had decided to wake her up. And now he volunteered to return at a later date?

"No. I am awake. Who are you and who do you require?" she asked as plainly as possible.

Nizan suddenly got nervous, trying not to let it show. "Lieutenant Rydit Nizan, the new security officer. I wanted to meet all of the higher ranking officers on the Galileo so I know who's who."

Rubbing sleep from her eyes, Lirha squinted in the darkness and let out a deep breath. Apparently this was not an important visit but nevertheless she had always been an officer to try and accommodate those serving under her.

"Very well. Have a seat, lieutenant," she answered while gesturing towards the large couch in her living room. "Computer, light level 5," she instructed which resulted in the slow illumination of her Orion-decorated quarters.

Nizan walked over and took a seat, looking around at the decorations. "I like how you decorated your quarters."

"Thank you." Lirha made her way over towards the nearest replicator and procured a steaming mug of hot chocolate to sip on.

"They are all from my homeworld of Rigel VII. Some of the decorations I accumulated during my travels while young." she explained, then offered her hospitality to the new officer. "Would you like something to drink or eat?"

"I'm good, thank you though." Nizan replied, trying to not let his nervousness about being in front of an admiral show.

Lirha returned from the replicator and took a seat next to the yellow-collared officer who she was just meeting for the first time. "Mister Nizan, yes? Tell me about yourself. How did you come board Galileo?" she inquired. The rear admiral was a bit too tired to go fetch the nearest PADD and look over the man's service record and transfer transcript, and so she preferred to ask him about his history in person.

"I transferred over from a Starbase, it wasn't the best assignment, boring mostly. I wanted more action, being out there doing things." Nizan replied.

Sipping her drink from the warm mug, Lirha turned towards the Bajoran and tilted her head curiously. "Elaborate."

"A starbase you'll be lucky to see major action once in a six year period. But on a starship, like Galileo, you can see different places, and have a chance at being there for a new discovery." Nizan smiled, "that's why I transferred."

"Oh? So you consider yourself a man of science and exploration?" Lirha asked. "Brains with brawn...I never realized the two were compatible," she jested with a wry grin.

"More of the exploration, less of the science." Nizan replied with a smirk.

"I see." The Orion suppressed a yawn and took another sip of hot chocolate from her mug. "Well, do you have any questions about your new assignment here on Galileo? Is this your first time aboard a Nova-class vessel?" Certainly the small science starship was a major departure from a massive starbase both in terms of logistics and mission capability.

"No questions, but yeah, this is my first time on a Nova. Very different from what I'm used to." Nizan was used to the starbase, and it was going to be a process for him to adapt to life on a ship.

"Adaptation is a part of Starfeet," Lirha mused, noting the strange similarity to the words of the Borg. "It is not always easy and there are always...how do you say?" she pursed her gold lips and cocked her head to the side while she searched for the correct Earthly idiom. "Growing pains?"

The Bajoran shrugged, thinking himself. "There's a Bajoran phrase for this, but the beauty of it is lost in translation."

"I would like to hear it," replied Saalm. Being a former communications officer, she was adept at learning new phrases even if they were of a foreign language.

"The rough translation is 'Change is Inevitable.'" Nizan said, "it sounds a lot better in Bajoran, honestly." He chuckled, before speaking up again. "Experience is the Father of Maturity."

Lirha sipped her mug and took a deep breath while tasting the warm cocoa flowing down her throat. "And what about those who do not like change? If they fear it will destroy their existing culture?" she asked, playing devil's advocate. "Should their ways of life and their ethos be abandoned?"

"As the proverb says, its inevitable. Doesn't mean you have to like it. I guess the Borg have that part down: adapt." Nizan smiled, "that's one thing they have right."

"Mm...how poetic," replied Saalm somewhat dryly with a sideways smirk before suppressing a yawn with the back of her hand. Her eyes glanced over to the nearby chronometer and she was reminded that she had to be on duty in only a few more hours.

"Well, Mister Nizan, I thank you for coming to introduce yourself. It is late, however, and I should get more rest before 0700. You are dismissed."

[OFF]

--

RADM Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

LTJG Nizan Rydit
Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

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