Posted by Fleet Captain Drudoc Andone (Commanding Officer) in Letters between Friends

[snip]

”..Well that is good. I’ve heard about your work on the arboretums, it is that kind of iniative I like to see among the crew. NLt Ton from operations commented it was nice to see a more active role being handled among the civilian staff. They do good work but the PADD work of a ship means often their suggestions sometimes are delayed getting lost in the shuffle of other things day to day.” She commented.

Sharah nodded, “There are some very talented crew in the Arboretums. I’m glad you are pleased, Captain. I really enjoy the work. Leslie Harris and Rhovan Devaris had a really good idea to make the arboretums more viable and less dependent on technological controls, but they need to flush out the details a little more. And I’ll have to get it cleared by whoever the new CSO will be and the you, as well. Their premise is sound, but I’ll have to see what their actual proposal will be.”

”..I’ll keep an eye out for the progress notes of their ideas then. Having a voice among the officer crew will do a lot for their efforts.” She said.

Sharah was slightly surprised. Her last two captains didn’t take that much interest in the crew. Of course she knew that wasn’t true here, but it was strange to be a junior officer and know the captain was looking at her and the staff she was working with.

Drudoc then seemed to observe Fayth’s inner distress. “..You seem almost distracted ensign if I can say so. While we are limited to the more junior counselors right now with Guy’s transfer. I do try to keep an open door policy if there is something you need to talk about?” She inquired. “..Tel’eck and I were just heading for our quarters if you care to join us for a late lunch?”

Sharah winced internally. That was always her problem. Those that were observant could always tell when something was wrong. That made her smile a little because it was that trait that lead Joseph to talk to her the first time. “I just got some upsetting news from a friend, Cpt.” And that was the problem. The letter from Ashlyn was upsetting, and the implications were upsetting for Sharah. She nodded with a slight smile though. “Thank you, captain. I’d like that.” She liked Tel’eck. She was such an energetic girl and bright too. And always up to some mischief. She’d only spoken to the captain once, but the crew was a reflection of her leadership. Sharah could pick that up in the clearer stray thoughts around the ship. The crew liked her and worked hard reflecting that loyalty and work ethic. The civilian crew she worked with talked about it a lot too. And they liked her as well. Sharah also accepted because she wasn’t sure it would be a good idea to say no to your captain, though Sharah did not feel coerced into it. But her distress over Ashlyn and it’s implications simply made her second guess her choices. She needed to deal with it.

”..I see, well I make a mean Risan chicken and egg salad sandwhich if you feel up to it. Come this way then.” She said.

From down the hall a giggle and muted cheer of “..Ha gotcha Danny! Think you could hide behind that box on the second floor!” was heard from Tel’eck who it seems was playing some PADD game.

Drudoc Andone CO

Sharah laughed at Tel’eck’s enthusiasm. She was obviously very good at strategy”Tel’eck? Have you ever played chess?”

En Fayth, Science

The pair caught up to Tel’eck who let out another whoop of victory as her PADD flashed with ‘A Winner Is you!’ on it with a big happy smiley face. Looking up turning off her PADD after telling her friends she had to go she replied to Fayth. “..Yeah, my Dad tried teaching me back when he was alive, but its soooo slow in action.” She said falling into step as the now trio entered the turbolift. “..Captain’s quarters!” Tel’eck called out humming a happy victory tune from her game.

”..You know how children are they soak up action and movement like sponges.” Drudoc said with a faint chuckle.

Sharah chuckled. “The speed of the game depends on who you’re playing with.” That reminded her of the pilot on her transport out. She’d seen her chess game on her PaDD she was playing with Joseph and Kelsey, the pilot, had told her about a chess game from an old Earth movie. It was called ‘wizard’s chess’ and the pieces actually attacked each other. Sharah suddenly had the idea to see if she could make a set for Tel’eck to play with. “But if it’s movement she likes, she might enjoy some low level parkour.”

”..So Mom, is Ensign Fayth coming over for lunch?” Tel’eck asked looking between the two. “..You haven’t had anyone over really since…” A clearing of Drudoc’s throat with a warning looking that also looked a bit sad caused the girl to cease her inquiry for the moment.

Sharah forced the swirl from the captain and her daughter down into the massive ocean she surfed above. There was obviously a lot of emotion and memory there and Sharah did not want to hear it. She glanced down at her hand, recalling the memory and focusing on that rather than the noise around her.

As the turoblift came to a halt the trio went down the hall a short way to approach the door to the Captain’s quarters. “..Please come in, make yourself comfortable Ensign. I’ll get going on that Risan chicken and egg salad. Or something else if you prefer?” she asked.

“No that sounds very good. I’ve never had it and I like to try new things.” Sharah had her favorites of course, but that was one of her happier memories from the academy, was all the different cultural foods there were to try.

Entering the large quarters Drudoc clearly had modified it for family life with a child over the usual setup. The whirlpool hot tub and storage room was modified to be Tel’eck’s room now. The large living area was present but had an area dedicated for Tel’eck to do her own work as well as one for the Fleet Captain. To the right of the door was a small kitchen prep area and table and to the left was a display case of assorted personal effects. Most family or personal pictures. The first was a much younger Drudoc in a Star Empire uniform circa 2370s during the Dominon War standing next to another Romulan woman, both looking dirty but grinning from ear to ear over some event. Behind them was singularity core from a Romulan scout ship from the early 24th century. The next picture in the line was Drudoc in a Romulan-Federation officer exchange off duty uniform Drudoc’s rank in the picture was a Lieutenant in both the Star Empire and Starfleet, smiling to the holo camera with a human man in his mid-30s wearing a similar security off duty uniform, the man’s rank was Lt Commander in Starfleet. The two were situated on a rock flanked by a waterfall with some kind of water lilies in the background. The next picture was of the man in question now a Commander rank in security with Drudoc ranked the same at Starfleet Academy flanked by the class of 2385 from the enginerring and security corps. Tel’eck was held between both proud parents aged 3 or so. The next picture in the line was curiously a more recent one, what was curious was the man in question had barely aged a day in appearance from the 2385 picture, he also now wore a Starfleet Marine Corp uniform ranked as a Major, Drudoc now ranked at her Fleet Captain rank stood next to the man with Tel’eck now aged 7 or 8 between both, holding a brightly and garishly colored Apollo 11 lunar lander with bright florescent colors and stylings. Said lunar lander was next to the picture and next to it was a small holo-memorial image of the man in question in the Marine dress uniform. It read Bradley Mitchell - ‘With timeless love always, we will never forget you’. Above this picture row was a beuatifully hand carved composite wooden longbow with leaf carvings in it. (OOC: Looks kinda like this! https://www.blacktailbows.com/uploads/1/8/9/3/18935985/slide8_29_orig.jpg ). Crossed over it with arrows were an assortment of Romulan throwing daggers and arrows. Directly below it on a locked security case was a strange alien plasma blaster looking positively ANCIENT and worn but still showing signs of energy life. (OOC: Looks exactly like this! https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/6/60/Ryza_%27Helshot%27_Pattern_Plasma_Blaster.png/revision/latest?cb=20160427200823 yes its a relic from a past sim where we had a crossover of warhammer 40k!)

Next to this display area was a small Romulan shrine with burnt offerings on it. An array of awards from the Star Empire and the Federation and oddly even the Klingon empire showed that Drudoc had a quite stellar service record in her life and to her name.

Drudoc Andone CO

Sharah tried not to be nosey. She took a seat and looked around at the room. Her brother, Andrew, would like the plasma blaster. He liked old and alien weaponry. The pictures caught her attention and, being empathic, Sharah’s already naturally empathetic personality (without actually feeling anything from anyone) made her ache for them. She didn’t know if she could stay with Star Fleet when she had children. To leave them behind like that. But Tel’eck was very lucky. It was obvious how much the captain loved her daughter.

Sharah sat silently. She felt like she was meeting Melinda and Mark again for the first time. Except she didn’t have Joseph’s calming presence to stop her from being strange, quirky and shy. The captain might perceive it as akwardness due to the young ensign being invited to lunch with her captain. But it was actually because Sharah was painfully shy with everyone. Though she was better at it now, as an adult, she never trusted herself to not slip up and respond to what her telepathy ‘heard’ rather than what was actually physcially being said. So she turned to Tel’eck. She found the last weeks on board that she was, maybe not great, but she was good with the children that came into the arboretum.

“What game were you playing Tel’eck?” She grinned, “I’m horribly at games, but I like learning them.”
En Fayth, Science