The Malingerer

Posted on 02 Mar 2017 @ 6:42pm by Ensign Miraj Derani & Commander Aren Ban

1,476 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 14 - Statecraft
Location: IKS DuJa'Q Deck 7
Timeline: MD02 1100

[ON]

When he passed the side corridor, Aren Ban could definitely hear a voice. And not a Klingon one. It was, female, and speaking Federation standard.

"You get it? Don't you? ...I thought Klingons mate for life." There was a gap, as if the speaker was listening to a reply. "Weĺl, no, but I'm not Orion either. I'm not anything, really." Another pause. "Bitchy." A sigh, "but true."

For a moment the speaker wasn't immediately obvious, then he spotted her. Laying on the pipes that ran above, squeezed on between them and the ceiling, was the young pilot, one leg and her pink bunches hanging down, her head resting on the arm tucked under it.

Aren froze as he he noticed the Ensign Derani up in the ceiling. He nearly snapped at her to get down and to act like a Federation officer, that it didn't matter that they were on a Klingon starship, that while this ship is underway she was to conduct herself with professionalism, tact, and bearing. The red anger that flashed through him quickly subsided, almost as if it had never crossed his mind. "Ensign Derani? Is that you up there?" He asked keeping his tone professional, knowing full well who it was. Who else did he know who spoke Federation standard and had pink hair?

Miraj was in a world of her own, having found a good spot to feel the ship from. She looked round awkwardly. "Oh!" She twisted awkwardly on top of the pipes, there was barely room and the scrambling took a moment. Finally she got her legs over and dropped ungracefully to the floor. She smoothed the hem of the Klingon tunic she was wearing so it came to just above her knee and turned to him. "Hello, Commander. I didn't see you there."

Aren just nodded. He had wished that he could smile, though much of his good humor and nature had seemed to absent as of late. "It is quite alright. I hope that all is well and may I ask why you were," he pointed to the pipes, "up there?" He asked, not seeing any obvious tools or sensor equipment.

"Getting to know DuJoq," She replied, mangling the pronunciation. "I mean DaJoq, DuJa'Q," she corrected, finally getting it right. "Getting to know how she feels in every pore, learning what she likes, what she dislikes. That sort of thing."

Aren nodded. While he didn't have a full a database of reports, he had read a few files on Ensign Derani. She had a natural talent at manning the helm and every report exemplified her ability. But she was also known to be rather, eccentric, when it came to starships. "I see, and what have you discovered?" He asked, curiously.

"Not a lot," Miraj sighed, "Its not been long enough". She remembered sharing her first impressions with Lirah, and what came after, and she sighed again. "And its going to take longer from down here."

He sighed inwardly, but outwardly Aren merely nodded. "I have seen part of your records, and they are very impressive. In fact, the admiral specifically expressed wonder at your ability to, and I am quoting here, 'Feel the ship.'" He said, before glancing up at the conduit and pipes that ran above them. "When you are referring to 'up there' are you talking about the space in which you previously occupied or at helm?" He knew that Lirha had removed her from duty.

So the admiral had told him what she'd done. She wondered what reason she'd given. "I mean the helm. It makes matching things up quicker. I'd rather be there. I haven't flown in ages. I miss it." she looked quite morose about it.

Aren looked at her for a moment. He could tell she was slightly resentful of the admirals choice, but then again who wouldn't be? Flying seemed to be all this women cared for, and her records supported it, as did her attitude. "We are fortunate to be on the move again. You will have more than your fair share of opportunity to man the helm of the DuJa'Q. I know that the Admiral, I mean General Saalm, ordered you to take a couple of days off. And while we may not always understand the orders that are given to us, we do have to follow them." He knew from personal experience how frustrating being in the dark could be. Even in the current mission, he had been in the dark the entire time about the admiral being alive. Having that information at hand would have been extremely valuable during the last few weeks, which begged to question what else had been and still is being kept from crew of the Galileo.

"I know why she's doing it, and her reasons suck," she said before she thought about it. She clapped her hand over her mouth as it could stop words already said. "I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to say that out loud. " she tried to apologize. "What I meant was I don't need days off," Miraj protested. "I need to be at the helm. Those are my days off. Its horrible not being able to go up there."

"I am going to pretend I didn't hear that Ensign Derani." He said with sympathy. "I can understand how you feel, but remember that she only has your best interests at heart, not to mention has to consider the entire crew as a whole. We are a living, breathing, if slightly cobbled together amorphous blob. While she may have said one thing to you as to why she took you off flight status, it could really be something else entirely, it isn't always about you."

It was something else entirely, and it was about me. Or at least the content of my pants. She did manage to keep that to herself. "Couldn't you say something to her, sir? Please? Its like being being in purgatory down here." Which is what its supposed to be, she thought. Lirha really did know to how to hit her where it would hurt.

Aren nodded. "If you feel so strongly about it, I will discuss it with her tonight. However there is something that I would like you do for me." He said, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "While I know that you are getting to know the ship by hanging up in conduits above us, I would greatly appreciate it if you did so in a not so public area, or if you feel you truly must, at least pretend that you are working. It wouldn't do well for the crew both Klingon and Starfleet to see an officer lounging around above them." He said hoping that he was getting his point across.

Tonight? So long? Still, it was better than nothing. "I'm not lounging, I'm talking to her. And I'm off duty. I wouldn't be doing it if I wasn't." Miraj explained, "But, yes sir. If you say so."

"I can understand and appreciate the difference, however there are others on board that can't. And as a senior staff member it us up to us to set the example." He explained. He almost fell into a roll as an academy instructor. Wanting to ask since when did going off duty constitute non-observance of standard protocols and being a Starfleet Officer. He shook his head to remove that train of thought this was something that he would bring up with the admiral later today. "Thank you."

Senior member of staff. She didn't feel like a senior member of anything. Six months ago she'd been doing her finals at the academy. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir"

"You don't need to sir sandwich me. And please don't apologize, just adjust and execute." Aren said, taking on a softer tone. "Admiral, I mean General Saalm, wanted you to talk with the doctor and or the counselor, have you done either?" He asked.

Sir sandwich? She hadn't heard that term before and it made her smile, even though she thought she probably shouldn't. "First thing this morning. Seven AM, as she said. They both said there isn't anything wrong with with me and I'm fit for duty."

Aren nodded. "Very well, while I am sure she is aware already, I well be sure to reiterate the point when I talk to her next." Aren said as he he began to move down the corridor. "Have a good day Ensign Derani."

Oh, she's totally aware, Miraj thought. "Thank you commander, you too. And thank you for talking to her. It means a lot."

[OFF]

Commander Aren Ban
Executive Officer
IKS DuJa'Q

Ensign Miraj Derani
Chief Flight Control Officer
IKS DuJa'Q

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