Posted by Fleet Captain Drudoc Andone (Commanding Officer) in Pre Sim - Arboretum 1 - Vronclon’s Check In With The CO
[snip]

“I understand what you are saying Captain. The counselor and I are meeting regularly right after work and are discussing ways to help. If you wish I will give you permission to have a chat with him about me and he can tell you everything. I do not want to mix his words up as I do not fully understand what he is saying. But the short of it is that the aim is to talk, find the root cause or causes, address them, process them and then learn how to move on. And like you, I too was in the worst years of the Dominan War. I was in the whole damn thing! I was present at the very start at the Talks at the Antwerp Conference in 2372. I survived the bombing but the other Romulans did not and that is why half my face and side have burn scars on them. So don’t stand there and tell me how far superior you to me. Show me how you adapt and manage and overcome so that I too don’t hurt as much....... please?”

”..I know you served in the Dominion War. Do not misunderstand me I was not implying my service or life was better then yours. We share a similar pain. Overcoming such pain is.....not a quick thing to have happen. Nor is it an easy one. I found solace through making new friends during my service with the Exchange program in 2380-83 before it was shut down. Over time I made a new life for myself in the Federation, and even after this time I still face challenges because of who we are. Those pains, those.....experiences which define us will never leave us. All I can say is never think you are alone or do not matter..” Drudoc said.

Catt was tending to a flower bed over by the swing, she was aware she wasn’t alone in the arboretum but wasn’t paying attention to them. She looked up when she heard running and the sound of the swing. The child was a girl and Catt would of thought she was Vulcan if the child had been showing less enthusiasm in her play. She nodded to the girl and said “Hello.”, in her soft voice. Catt generally liked children but she let the girl decide if she wanted to talk or not.

Ensign Catt Bennet. Science.

Tel’eck meanwhile looked up to Catt a bit, “..Oh wow your white fur is so pretty!” She exclaimed.

GM CockRoach / Drudoc Andone CO

Catt giggled, “Thank you. It’s not a natural color you’seen often on Caitans.”, and she snipped a dead leaf off the flower she was tending. “Do you come here often?”, she asked speaking softly, “You seem to be a very charming young lady yourself.”, and she gathered the dead foliage and bagged it before standing and facing the girl on the swing. “I an Catt.”, she said as she brushed off any thing that might marr her blue and black uniform. Catt was only four feet tall so she was almost at eye level with the child seated on the swing.. Catt pulled the hem of her skirt down as it rode up a bit when she bent over or got on her knees to garden. Catt, as was typical of Caitans, was bare foot pawed. Catt tended to talk to much sometimes so she made a point of letting the young seemingly Vulcan? Girl speak.

Ensign Catt Bennet. Science.

”..Why isnt it common among Caitans?” The girl asked swinging in the tire again.

GM CockRoach

Catt smiled though she was careful not to show teeth. “Fur patterns vary by region. So usually the fur coloring and pattern look like the local vegetation so that our ancestors could hide better from predators and enemies. Though solid tan and solid black also exist. But white tends to make you easier to notice. So people with White fur did not tend to survive. That’s called genetics. The people who hid better survived to pass on their genes. Of course this is true of everyone in all species. But This is sort of like school lessons and I don’t want to interrupt your play. Any other questions?”, Catt said softly, biology and xenobiology were two of her specializations but she didn’t want to get too complicated and maybe confuse the girl.

Ensign Catt Bennet. Science.

Tel’eck furrowed her brows some, “..Yeah ok I get that. So does that mean you grew up in a snowy environment? Hence the white fur?” she asked.

Catt cocked her head, “That is a good guess and I wish it was true. What do you know about how people II..reat other species? While The Federation tend s to at least try to treat people as equals it’s not true of all species. I was a prisoner of a species rhat wanted me to be very pretty, unique, and rare. They made changes to me. One of those changes caused my fur to turn white. I do not hate them for what they did as they also saved my life. But I am glad I was rescued from them. ” , Catt sighed internally but only her tail tip betrayed her real feelings as she answered the childs questions. It might be time to change the topic. “Do you enjoy living on the Ark Angel?”, she asked the girl.
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Ensign Catt Bennet. Science.

”..Well my Mom says that everyone has their own beliefs and desires. And that we need to respect them and their choices. But yet too everyone deserves certain rights and protections. It sounds like to me someone forced you to be something you werent?” Tel’eck inquired.

”..As for living on the Ark Angel? Yeah I like it here, there’s other kids to learn and play with, and…” Tel’eck glanced over to where her Mother was, then leaned in a bit closer conspiratorially to Catt. “..and I keep finding ways to have a lot of fun too!” She said with a grin that likely implied she did things that drove her Mother and likely the civilian care givers on the ship crazy. “..You wanna see my hide out in the Jeffries Tubes?” She asked then.

GM CockRoach / Drudoc Andone

Catt blinked , mewld softly and wanted to hug the girl. A hiding place was precious. A offer to share the location of a hiding place was a act of trust and friendship of the utmost value. Catt looked about and smiled, “I have no token to give you in return right now. But if you will permit I would like to give you a flower to place in your hair. Also You are very polite. Most people try to touch me to see how soft my fur is. You may touch my arm if you so wish.” As gestures go it didn’t seem like much Catt knew but Caitan’s were a touchy feely kind of species which drove Catt crazy since she didn’t like being touched by strangers. “The people talking over behind the bush? Are they your parents? Should we tell them before we go?”, she had just met the girl and some parents were over protective. Catt was new and prefurred to avoid conflicts so she didn’t want to just dissapear with someones child.

Ensign Catt Bennet. Science.

Tel’eck glanced over to where Drudoc and Vronclon were heatedly talking. “..Only my Mom is still alive, my dad tied uh....again not too long ago. The other Romulan I think is just some new JO that came aboard. It is nice I guess having more Romulans aboard. Mom tries to teach me about their culture given I’m ya know half-romulan, and my dad was human. But nah…half the fun of sneaking off it she not knowing. Though I’m starting to wonder if she really does and just pretends not too.” Tel’eck said. Taking Catt’s hand and leading her deeper into the brush of plants till they were in a corner out of sight by a Jeffries Tube access. “..I hope you dont mind crawling its down a few decks!” She said opening the hatch and crawling in.

GM CockRoach

Catt followed along letting the girl guide her. She was likely going to get in a world of trouble but she understood the need to get away from people better than most. So not a Vulcan at all but Romulan. That made her the Captain’s daughter. Catt knew she was making a big mistake but she let her heart and emotions guide her actions. So she crawled after the girl, “I lived in these kinds of tunnels when I was only slightly older than you.”, she said as they crawled. She didn’t mention it was because the adults moved slower in the cramped space so she could avoid them easier. How do you explain hiding so you don’t get killed and eaten to anyone let alone a child.”we shouldn’t be gone to long though. So we take a look see for now then head back. Iwouldn’t want your mother to decide I might make a better rug then a officer.”, she said with a giggle.SHe didn’t want to ask about how Tel’eck’s father had died as remembering her parents always cause severe emotional distress in Catt. That nobody should ever go through what Catt suffered and a desire to make her adopted father proud had led Catt to Starfleet service. She wished she was a better officer as every time she earned a reprimand she was crushed knowing her Adopted Father would hear of it.

Ensign Catt Bennet. Sciences.