Posted by Commander Shedda Mal’athar (Executive Officer) in Wanderings and Wonderings (XO)

Posted by Lieutenant Pretha Oberon (Security Officer / CRIT Leader) in Wanderings and Wonderings (XO)

Posted by Commander Shedda Mal’athar (Executive Officer) in Wanderings and Wonderings (XO)

Pretha was awake.

She hadn’t been sleeping well of late so the woman had taken to wandering the ship in an unofficial security capacity the last few nights to wear herself out. Making a final sweep of this deck, she entered the Officer’s lounge and glanced around. A body she didn’t recognize was in the room and she coughed to get their attention. The dark hair and back of the person was all she saw, so it could have been one of the officers she had yet to meet. But better to be sure than have some enlisted folks get in trouble up here late at night. “Evening…” was all she said.

Pretha was in her uniform but it had been on her all day and certainly wasn’t in ‘inspection’ glory. It was rumpled and, like her nearly exhausted look, was ready for a refresher. Her hair was loose around the edges of her usually regulatory bun, and was tucked haphazardly behind her ears as if, it too, wanted to be freed from its confines of the day.

Lt Pretha Oberon
CRIT Ldr

Mal’athar was in the lounge, getting her coffee - Kicking Horse Decaf Dark Roast. She couldn’t get it in the officer’s mess so she was getting it here. She heard the cough and she told herself to be calm. If it was that over inflated, entitled, arrogant, creepy chef again, she needed to be calm. Her uniform was clean and crisp and her bun in place. It always was. Cpt Cochrane had encouraged her to relax and have fun and not always be on duty, and she would, eventually. But she’d learned the hard way not to ‘let loose’ too soon. She turned, seeing the security officer and then recognized her face. “Lt Oberon isn’t it?” She walked over towards the woman and held out her hand. “Cmdr Mal’athar. Care to join me?”

Mal’athar, XO

As soon as the uniformed officer turned, Pretha realized who it was. “Yes, Ma’am. Though Pretha is easier on the lips. And please, I didn’t want to intrude. I am just not used to anyone being in here at this hour. Wanted to be sure nothing was wrong.” She held out her hand and they exchanged a decent shake. Pretha was no pro at hand shakes, but she was capable of making it not seem awkward and limp. “I hope you are settling in all right, Ma’am. I don’t want to bother you if you are here for solace. I can set the door to privacy if you wish.”

Pretha
CRIT Ldr

“Cmdr works just fine. Ma’am makes me feel old.” In truth Shedda avoided ‘Ma’am’ because she hated drawing attention to her gender because more of than not it reminded people she was female and Orion. “No intrusion, the lounge is for everyone. I just came looking for a cup of coffee and a walk. Oh I don’t need the privacy setting, I have quarters for that.” Shedda grinned gently. “So what is our CRIT leader up to at this hour?”

Mal’athar, XO

“Commander it is, then.” She smiled and nodded respectfully. “And I heard the coffee up here is exceptional. I am more of a tea drinker myself, thanks to my last companion.” She smiled.

When the XO questioned Pretha about her wanderings, she had a moment of panic. She wasn’t officially on duty so she could, logically, be reprimanded for skulking about the ship. Especially in Officer Country. “Wandering myself out, I suppose. Trouble sleeping the last couple nights.” Realizing such a comment could land her in the CNS’s office, she raised a hand to ward off any concern. “Nothing to worry about. Happens occasionally when I get something stuck in my head. But I figured I would walk the decks and then head to bed.” In truth, she would probably wander another hour before heading to her quarters. She hadn’t started yawning yet and that wasn’t a good sign for her trying to get sleep. “I check in here occasionally because enlisted like to sneak in late nights for a drink or snack cause of convenience in their own rounds. Just trying to be sure to discourage it, I suppose.”

Pretha
CRIT Ldr

Mal’athar grinned, “Relax, we all have trouble sleeping some times. I’m wandering with a similar purpose. Adjusting to a new ship’s day cycle takes me a few days. Last I checked the sign said ‘officer’s lounge’ not ‘senior staff lounge’ so make use of it.” In all truthfulness Shedda didn’t like the whole commissioned vs enlisted areas. She understood why some wanted designated areas, but she felt non-designated areas should out number them. They were all one crew after all.

Mal’athar, XO

“Thank you, Ma… I mean, Commander. I will remember that. I think some of tend to stick to the other areas out of respect, more than responsibility. Command staff have to deal with so much more, they, you deserve to have a place unhindered by rowdiness, to go to when you need a moment that isn’t the confines of your quarters.” She knew about sleep cycle changes, it had taken her a week to get used to this ship’s cycle. And even then, she tended to work nights more often than days because of needing to be on call during the primary shift hours.

“Sometimes, the rowdiness is just what we need. Rather than quiet contemplation. Sometimes we get too much of that. We’re people too, not just red and black clothes with shiny pips.” Mal’athar grinned, “And more times than not, my pips are too covered in dirt to be shiny.”

“I recommend, if possible, a forty eight hour reprieve from duties. Exhaust yourself however you choose,” she laughed. “I wander the ship, obviously. Then sleep in your quarters with no chronos to bother you till you set it for lunch time the second day. Let your body sleep itself out for twenty four hours, however that means to you. I slept and in between merely read reports. Which put me back to sleep,” she smiled. Then I got up and had lunch and felt like I had merely slept in. Once I resettled my afternoon routine and went to bed at a proper hour, that night, it was easy to be on the ship schedule beginning the next day. Just a suggestion though. And it’s far easier than adjusting your sleep schedule in increments over a course of a week.” She had done that for years before someone had given her this trick. She’d used it on the last ship and it had worked. Here, she had chosen not too because two days wasn’t enough time to clear her mind and body of the pain of separation.

Pretha
CRIT Ldr

Shedda smiled in thanks, “I’ll try that.” The problem with it was the natural Orion sleep cycles. A couple hours every few hours. Trying to sleep in and adjust that way was doable, but with the help of medication and Shedda hated going that route because it was easy to become dependent on them. She took a long drink of her coffee and sighed happily. “I don’t care if it’s replicated, I love this stuff.”

Mal’athar, XO

Pretha laughed. “Sometimes replication is all we can manage. I had real food at one of the stations we were at, once. Was so rich, I was full far sooner than I was in my quarters. Was interesting to say the least.”

She smiled at the comment about rowdiness. “Well if you ever want rowdy, lemme know. Happy to oblige with assigning you a shift on holiday nights, or a sim to give you enough rowdiness to sate your appetite. I have plenty of knock ‘em down sims in my library to keep you occupied. From mild security dust ups to full on Klingon spar programs. You just let me know and I’ve got you covered there.” She laughed lightly at the idea of someone other than herself coming off the holo deck with a limp and a satisfied grin. Though, something told her, this woman wouldn’t be made to limp very easily. She had a way about her, and not just the rank, that told Pretha that in a pinch, she would be an amazing asset to the ship. And Pretha wouldn’t have to worry about her not having an escort with her from the get.

Pretha
CRIT

Shedda shook her head, “Probably out of my league. Though I probably should pick up some kind of advanced hand to hand training. Round out my skills a bit. Can’t always fall back simply on greater strength providing physical force. Anyone on board teach such classes?”

Mal’athar, XO

Pretha thought for a moment. “There are several training sims. But if you wish, I am happy to work with you. I am no great instructor. But I can teach you enough to defend yourself till others arrive or escape if need be. Not everything you bring to bare needs to be energized or edged. Learning to use your body as well as your mind can help you in times when, as you say, brute force isn’t always the key.” She had been in enough scrapes to know that being female, and wily, were sometimes the best weapons one could have.

Pretha
CRIT