Spare a Seat?

Posted on 18 May 2016 @ 11:13pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Ensign Calin

1,138 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 11 - Divinum Mundi
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 2, Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 02 - 1215 hrs

[ON]

The busy buzz of Galileo's mess hall was in full effect during the lunchtime hour. Despite having a relatively small crew, the Nova-class' primary dining area was equally as small, and the limited number of tables and booths were all full. Some of the crew stood near the windows with their plates in their hands while looking out at the streaking stars, and others gathered around the buffet table and replicators while they chatted and exchanged pleasantries.

Lirha slowly weaved her way through the crowd, pausing only slightly to smile and nod at those crew members who acknowledged her along the way. She made her way to the serving dishes and retrieved several fried wing slugs, salad greens, and bread rolls before turning to navigate her way towards a table. Her back was aching a bit and she preferred to sit and eat whenever possible; she waited for a short moment then finally saw a petty officer get up from his seat, after which she walked over to claim the chair.

At the two-person table table was a yellow-collared officer, a Vulcan by the looks of his point ears. "Hello," she greeted, coming to a stop in front of him. "May I join you?"

Calin looked up from his steaming bowl of bertakk soup, quickly assessing the Admiral's rank on the collar of her uniform. Had he been human or even Andorian, her sudden presence might have elicited an emotional response such as surprise. Such as it was, Calin was neither of those, and so nothing came of his facial expression other than acknowledgement. Calin did however, revere the chain of command and knew that a sign of respect was warranted. He backed out of his seat, standing to his full height before nodding curtly. "Of course, Admiral." He said loud enough that she could hear, but not so loud as the rest of the mess hall needed to.

She flashed a small smile of thanks and set her tray down on the table before taking a seat. "Are you new aboard Galileo?" she began to ask while tearing off a small piece of bread from her roll and plopping it into her mouth. She recognized the man's features from a personnel file somewhere, but couldn't quite place a name to his face.

Calin returned to his seat as well, retrieving his spoon and ignoring the fact that the Galileo's commanding officer touched her food. He never broke gaze with the Admiral. "Yes ma'am." Typically, he'd leave his answer as a direct response to a direct question. Given Lirha's status, however, he elected to elaborate. "While on board, I will serve as Galileo's Security Investigation Officer under Lieutenant Benice."

She nodded slowly while her light green eyes searched his features. "Yes, I believe I remember now," she mumbled in between chews. The mention of security investigations had lit up the light bulb in her head. "Ensign Cay-lin, yes?" She hoped she remembered his name properly.

Calin nodded slightly. "Correct, ma'am."

Lirha grabbed another piece of bread then used the edge of her fork to slice off a juicy piece of crispy wing slug. "What brings you to this starship," she then asked before taking a big bite of the crispy tidbit and closing her eyes to savor the flavor of her entree.

The look in Calin's eyes seemed quizzical for a moment, as though he hadn't fully understood her question. He tried to handle it as best he could with what he knew at the time. "Admiral?"

"Your posting here, I mean," she began to clarify. "Did you request this specific vessel, or did you just happen to be assigned to us by chance?" She wouldn't hold it against him either way, but she was always curious to know how her crew managed to find their way aboard.

At least the Admiral hadn't referred to it as luck, Calin thought, reminded of an earlier conversation with Miraj. "Ah, in that case, I had not requested posting to the Galileo, Admiral. My assignment here is, as you referred it as, by chance."

Procuring a fried wing slug from her plate, Lirha grasped it delicately with both hands then bent down to bite into the crispy shell. The crunchy batter combined with the soft and gooey insides made it a wonderful culinary sensation, and she hummed softly as juicy slug-meat coated her tongue. She chewed contently for a few moments before looking back up at the Vulcan in between bites. "Well, welcome aboard," she smiled. "Have you met some of the crew yet?"

Calin nodded. "I have reported in to my department manager, Lieutenant Benice, and have acquainted myself with several members of the crew." He thought about mentioning Miraj, whom he'd known from the academy, but decided against doing so. It was better to keep things general. The experience has been quite positive, thus far, Admiral."

She continued to chew for a long moment before leaning down to take another large bite from her wing slug. "Have you been doing any investigating so far?" she asked, looking up with a mischievous glint in her light green eyes.

A portion of Calin's mind was wondering if an investigation was precisely what the Admiral herself was doing. Humans were inquisitive enough as it was. But Admiral Saalm brought the term inquisitive to a whole new level. He sipped on his tea, letting the flavor roll up and down his tongue before swallowing with very little indication that he had. "I am currently examining several cold cases that are on file in Galileo's databases."

The taut skin around Lirha's eyes twitched as she squinted with a heavy dose of curiosity. Tactical and security operations had always seemed foreign to her, even in the Academy, and the mention of a 'cold case' sparked her interest. She refrained from demolishing the rest of her wing slug while she prodded further. "Which ones?" she asked.

Calin considered whether or not much of the material he might divulge would be appropriate during a meal. Out of his mind, he picked a few of the less gruesome ones. "For example, there is a missing person case. A Trill, by the name of Azreel Pihn, who is host to an incredibly old symbiont." Calin took another sip of his soup. "She went missing shortly after being joined, but Trill authorities have not turned up any sufficient leads as to her present whereabouts."

A runaway Trill, Lirha thought to herself. Very interesting indeed. "Do you suspect she was kidnapped? I have always assumed the selection process for Trill hosts was impeccable...it would seem strange for it to have been a deliberate inside attempt," she commented.

[TRUNCATED]

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RADM Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

ENS Calin
Security Investigations Officer
USS Galileo

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