Posted by Commander Shedda Mal’athar (Executive Officer) in PreSim - Event Horizon Station - Time Off For Good Behaviour

Posted by Commander Shedda Mal’athar (Executive Officer) in PreSim - Event Horizon Station - Time Off For Good Behaviour

Posted by Civilian Char’les Harv (Officer’s Mess Chef) in PreSim - Event Horizon Station - Time Off For Good Behaviour
Posted by… suppressed (52) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
That was absolutely NOT what Shedda wanted to hear. She wanted Alex to say it was a joke or there was something in it he was allergic to, or Harv was going to give her food poisoning for pissing him off over something that Shedda wasn’t even aware of.

Shedda had dated plenty. She’d just never found anyone that was interested in knowing her and not an ‘Orion Woman’. Oh! Oh crap, did she miss her inhibitor? She thought back… No and even if she did, she had the ability to control it. She should get checked by Hudson anyway.

First, curiosity got the better of her and she lifted the box lid again to look at the cake. Maybe it was a remote detonator? No, Harv would never ruin his food that way. He had too much pride in his work for that.

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

“Tyrisian chocolate souffle between layers of Terran raspberry cake with a mirror glaze of dark chocolate from Hiand VII. Hope you like it.” Harv said from the doorway of the kitchen.

Harv - Chef

Shedda looked up and met his gaze. She very carefully closed the lid and, taking it with her, walked over to the counter. She leaned against it where it was closest to the kitchen doors. I’ve been told I am picky, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue for you,” she said poking fun at herself. Albeit badly. “So I’m sure I will. Thank you.” Her fingers tapped the edge of the box gently. “It’s beautiful. It will be a shame to cut it.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv looked at her a moment and then said “Well, you don’t really have to. When you decide to eat it, set the box on something a little smaller than the base. Then just push down on the sides and the box will unfold and the cake will- if I did it right- split into four pieces and fall on its own plate made from the sides of the box.” He shrugged a bit uncomfortably and then said “I had to get one’a the Engineers to help with that, though. You wanna ten tired cake made outta cremé freche, I’m your guy. Anything that isn’t edible though, I’m kinda at a loss.”

Harv - Chef

She absolutely did not have a fluttery feeling in her stomach and her heart was not trying to race. She swore if Alex and Harv were pulling a prank on her, she’d knock them both on their @sses. She debated whether to just ask Harv if Alex had put him up to this, but then if Alex wasn’t yanking her chain, she’d really insult Harv. “Well I can piece together broken pottery, but I always burn eggs, so,” she shrugged.

Shedda stared back at him for a moment. Well what was life without a little risk. “You know, it’d be a shame if you didn’t get to see if this all works out the way you hoped. When you’re done here, why don’t you stop by and share it with me.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv looked at her for a long moment and then said “Well, I can’t tonight. There is a that birthday party for Ens. Vecks. And I won’t be done till a little after the dinner rush tomorrow. But, um…” and he swallowed very hard and very noticeably, “… well, uh… maybe if you haven’t eaten by then that is… maybe I could…uh… bring something for us- or just you, just you is good too- um… something to have for dinner?” It was just barely noticeable that the chef’s hands were shaking.

Harv - Chef

Shedda was going to kill Alex. Now she’d made Harv uncomfortable and put him in an odd position, and she’d made a fool of herself. She should have made that deal with Alex. Harv didn’t want to have dinner with her, he wanted to just give her food and leave it at that. She could be watching Alex squirm over an unwanted date right now. “You don’t have to bring me food, Harv. I just,” Shedda took a slightly nervous breath, choosing her words carefully. She didn’t want to insult him, but she didn’t want to make him feel pressured. “thought you put so much effort into it, it would be nice to share. You probably tried it while you made it though.” She carefully picked up the box. “Thank you for the cake. It was sweet of you.” She refrained from saying the invitation was still open. She didn’t want to make him feel even more uncomfortable than she’d made him already. “I’ll get out of your way. You have that party. Thanks again.” Shedda turned from the counter feeling like a complete idiot, but tried to save some pride by not looking like she felt like it.

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

“Oh… yeah… okay, then…” Harv said softly while staring at the floor and then he shrugged a little. “Yeah, I should… um… sure, Commander. See ya.” and he sighed heavily and walked into the kitchen, the door swinging quietly shut behind him.

Harv - Chef

Shedda glanced back and smiled. “See ya, Chef.”

He might have briefly when she stopped for coffee the next morning, but she didn’t stay to eat, which wasn’t too unusual. She didn’t eat every morning.

She avoided lunch out of pure embarrassment. She missed dinner, maybe hoping he would actually show up and share the cake with her. She told herself she was being stupid, and owed Alex something embarrassing.

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

=/\= XO to the Conference Room for Mission Briefing. =/\= the computer said at seven thirty that evening. She then received a file showinng a nebula cluster around a red giant. Scant data came with it, so that was probably what their next mission would entail.

Cochrane, CO

Well that was just as well. Shedda stood from where she was reading. She glanced over the file and transferred it to a PaDD. She moved into her bedroom, shedding her casual wear and slipping back into her uniform. She attached her combadge as she stepped into her boots. She picked up the PaDD on her way out the door, with a last glance at the still boxed cake. Just as well.

At the lift she stepped on, glancing over the file as she did, “Deck 1.” The lift took off. A moment later she stepped off and turned down the short corridor and stepped into the conference room.

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

There was no one there.

But what was there were two places settings, three trays covered with silver domed warmers, and two glasses of something with ice. Before she could react, the door slid open and Harv walked in. “Whaddya mean the chicken is undercooked?!” he barked, and then stopped short and looked at Shedda, his eyes going wide in surprise. “Commander? What are you doi-” and his questions was cut off by the vid screen activating.

Harv - Chef

Shedda stopped and a sense of utter dread coursed through her as Harv walked in. He was as surprised as she was. As soon as she heard the vid screen activate she knew what Alex had done.

“Since you both are too nervous to do it yourselves, I am using my prerogative as Commanding Officer to do it for you.” Alex said. “Dinner. The two of you. Sit down, eat, get to know one another. That’s an order. Cochrane out. ” that was all.

Cochrane, CO

Shedda stared at the screen and had a strong urge to go rip the bulkheads down around Alex’s door and drag him out. What she would do after that she wasn’t sure. Her face flushed an almost dusky purple. She wasn’t sure if she felt shaky from low blood sugar or anger at Alex. It wasn’t going to help anything if she broke her PaDD. One breath and a count to ten. She turned to look at Harv, but was at a loss of what to say.

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv stared at the vid screen for several heartbeats… which wasn’t all that long considering how fast his heart was pounding. His eyes narrowed and his jaw set. “That arrogant piece of sh-” and he caught himself. He looked at Shedda and said “Look. I don’t know what he expects or is thinking… or if he even is thinking… but I know you don’t wanna be here. Go ahead and go. We’ll just say dinner was fine and that was that. If we fight it, he’ll just dig in like a Halfillinñan tick. I’ll clear this up. Have a good evening, She-, er, Commander.” He turned away from her and began to pick up the dishes and set them aside.

Harv - Chef

Shedda looked taken aback by his vehemence. Something sharp twisted in her gut. The man really did hate her. He couldn’t even use her name. It shouldn’t hurt that her effort to at least make peace with the man had gone unnoticed. It shouldn’t remind her of all those failed dates at the Academy, but it did.

She knew what Alex was thinking. She’d told him he was wrong and he didn’t believe her. “I’m sorry Chef. I’ll talk to him. There is no lying to him. He’s watching the security feeds to make sure we stay. I don’t know what he’s up to. Just… just leave everything. The Captain has already taken enough of your time on an association you don’t want. Go enjoy your evening.” Well, that settled the question on if she was being stupid about saving the cake. She was stupid, he wasn’t planning on accepting her invitation. She stepped toward him, taking the dish he was holding. “I’ll take care of it. It’s the least I can do.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv froze in the middle of picking up a plate. Slowly his head turned and he looked at her. “I don’t want the association?! I’m the one who keeps shooting down anything someone does to try and ask you to dinner?! Holy crap lady… you got some stones on ya, that’s for sure.” He started gathering up the dishes with more than a little frustration. “I make you a cake. Made your favorite dish from your home. Even went outta my way to find out what your Dad puts in it. Nice guy. He told me you were oblivious to things like that, ya know. Hell, I even invited you into my kitchen! And what did I get for my troubles? Nothing. You didn’t even have the goddamn common courtesy to tell me you weren’t interested. Just let me keep makin’ a fool outta myself. Just… just great. But don’t worry about it. I got the message. Loud and clear. I won’t do anything else. No, Ma’am… I will leave you be for sure. And you can tell that Captain of yours he’s on my s#!+ list. Settin’ me up like this…” and he slammed the plates onto a cart on the far side of the room and began to gather up the rest of the meal.

Harv - Chef

Each statement was like a stab to her gut. He just told her to leave? She didn’t offer to go, she didn’t even move toward the door. She hated the golden sheen that covered her eyes in a watery haze. She was NOT her mother. She didn’t play games like that. She was just oblivious about it. She supposed she could get mad at him. What did he want, let her in the kitchen and fall into bed with him? Well no thank you, that wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted her heart to be seen not her body. She stepped back like he’d slapped her.

“Shooting down who? No one asks me out. There is no one saying, ‘Hey Shedda let’s have dinner, just us, or want to go with me to the crew movie night, or there is this great holo program. or anything like that. No I get, ‘Hey Shedda why don’t you forget your pheromone suppressant for 24 hours and we’ll make a night of it.’” Idiots didn’t know she didn’t need it. “I don’t invite anyone to my quarters,” her voice was quiet and barely steady. “But I did you. You turned me down with an offer of dinner for one. I saved that cake, hoping.” She moved quietly to the door. “My father is an amazing man. For the record, since I wasn’t clear, and I am sorry for that, the chili was amazing. You have no idea how much I needed it that day.” Shedda shook her head and pressed the control to open the door.

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

He turned and looked at her, arms crossed on his chest. He was quiet for a moment, but when he did speak, his voice was… not calm… but mostly flat. “You never stopped to think maybe I was nervous to ask you? You never bothered to think about why I was doing those things? And just for you, by the way. When have you EVER seen me work so hard on a gods-forsaken box, huh?” His eyes never left her, but he shook his head. “The answer is never, by the way.” He dropped his arms and turned around, slowly gathering up the final bits of the dinnerware. “I guess being an Orion is about as hard as dealing with ‘em.” He paused and turned around. “And for the record, I could give two shits about your pheromone inhibitor. I wasn’t looking for that. I wanted to know you better, is all.” and he started clearing plates.

Harv - Chef

“I never said you were looking for that. As for dealing with Orions, I don’t know. The only one I know is my father.” Shedda sighed, “No, I didn’t think you were nervous. You never hesitated to insult me or put me in my place. You’ve made it quite clear from the beginning you do not like me. It never occured to me that you wouldn’t speak your mind.” She sighed again. “No I didn’t think all those things were you trying to ask me out, Harv. I thought they were peace offerings. Two people trying to get along. Not until you told me about the box. Why do you think I asked you to come share it with me?”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv paused again. He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes for a second. “Well… I’ve met a few.” He opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder at her. “It didn’t go well.” he said with a soft chuckle.

“I’d heard a rumor to that effect,” she said wryly. Murder and escape and exile would fit ‘not going well’.

Turning to fully face her, he leaned against the table. “Ok, look. Let’s try this again. Comman-… Shedda… I’d really like to have dinner with you. Would you please join me?” and he gestured to the table.

Harv - Chef

“I’d like that.” Shedda moved away from the door and towards the table. She passed the cart he had pushed into the wall and gently guided it toward the table. “So what exactly did the captain order and what story did he tell you?”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv pulled her chair for her and let her be seated and then began reorganizing the settings. “He told me that his mom was coming and if I wanted a signed copy of her new book, I needed to make a dinner she would remember. So I did… shoulda known something was up. He said she really liked Terran chicken and Vulcans are vegetarian.” He shook his head and then looked at Shedda. “That guy can lie his ass off when he wants to, huh?” and he chuckled.

Harv - Chef

Shedda let him seat her, though it felt formal and a little weird. She shook her head agreeing with him, “Apparently, and I swear he is more meddlesome than the old grandfathers in my village.” She would have helped but she was afraid to start an argument all over again. “He told me we had a mission briefing. I should have known when it was the computer and not him on the comm.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv made quick work of the settings and then took a seat across from her. He set his hands palm-down on the table and then froze, his brow furrowing. He was quiet a moment and then looked at Shedda. “I just realized I haven’t actually sat down for a meal with anybody in… well… I can’t remember the last time actually.”

Harv - Chef

“Too busy feeding everyone else. I’m well aware of the lines to get into the mess to eat. How early you get there and how late you stay.” Shedda said reaching for a glass, “You know we have the enlisted mess and the lounge. In a pinch there are, horror of horrors, replicators, and if we are desperate - emergency rations. You are allowed to take time off.” She sipped. “Well my meals with someone consists of the captain… which I am seriously reconsidering now.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv shook his head slightly and said “Why’s that? Don’t like where they ended you up?” and he gestured around them and laughed softly. He started to uncover the food. “Earth dishes but with Vulcan flavor pallettes, so they are spicy. Chicken Tikka Masala with Vulcan garlic and red chili flake. Roasted Vulcan sprouts with the classic Vulcan spice combination of t’nic, queshar, hoa’dre, and Vulcan cinnamon. And finally flan with caramel.” and he began serving her.

Harv - Chef

“I didn’t say that.” Shedda said quietly but earnestly. “Why? Because he’s being a meddlesome pain in the neck that needs to mess with his own life and not other people’s.” That probably sounded bad and she didn’t mean it that way. “Even if he is right, he’ll be insufferable to deal with now.” Shedda looked at the dishes, and she admitted it smelled mouth watering. Everything Harv made was. The only problem was that Shedda had no tolerance for spice. She really was going to kill Alex. She’d eat it, enjoy it, and hope that her stomach didn’t decide to expel the food before Harv left. This was going to end in a nightmare.

“Don’t worry, by the way.” Harv said with a rare slight smile. “The flan has Cardassian vanilla in it. It’ll neutralize the spices before you get any kind of upset stomach or something.” He sat down and looked at her. “Coincidental side effect of it also tasting really good.”

She was really going to have to look into Harv having some sort of telepathy. It was uncanny how he seemed to know what she was thinking.

“It smells delicious Harv. I know this wasn’t the scenario you had in mind when cooking, but thank you all the same.” She didn’t touch the food until Harv had his own. She took careful bites of each thing, trying them and their flavors. It was good, there was no doubt about that. “I’m curious, do you do anything that is not cooking? You must, but except for a very small few hours in the middle of the night you are always in the mess.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

He served himself and then poured them drinks. “I sleep.” he said with a soft chuckle. “Seriously, though… I like to read. Mostly histories and ethics. And I do research for… uh… well, it’s stupid. Just a per project of sorts.” and he hid his face as he took a drink. “What about you? When you are t being set up by Cochrane, what do you like to do?”

Harv - Chef

“Oh, now I’m curious, and I doubt it’s stupid.” She didn’t press though. She smirked at the joke, but her eyes were a bit sad. She imagined her free time would be so different now. Maava wasn’t hers, but she still felt like she was. The love and attachment didn’t disappear just because things didn’t work out.

“Oh, volley ball, martial arts, and I’ll deny it of you repeat it, but creative writing,” Shedda said.

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv looked sat her for a moment and then said “Id like to read some of it sometime.” His tone was sincere with no hint of amusement. “And I’ll let you read my project. It’s a cookbook; but its the last meals of famous… and some infamous… individuals throughout the Federation and beyond. Many of them I’ve had to recreate on my own.”

Harv - Chef

“That’s fascinating. There is a whole field of anthropologic study that focuses just on food. Not just what they ate and how it was cultivated, but the preparation of it and the when and why it was served. It’s fascinating from cultural stand point. I’m sure it’s equally fascinating from a psychological one. Though,” she purposely shuddered slightly at the idea of deep diving into someone’s psyche, “I wouldn’t want to investigate the whys of individuals.”

“So I guess that means I’m going to have to share.” It wasn’t that she was adverse to sharing it with Harv specifically, but she never shared them with anyone. It was a private little hobby that she enjoyed, but never enough to share. Well… not anymore. Though she didn’t have to worry about that particular criticism from Harv. “It might take me a bit to pick something.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

“That’s fine. No rush.” he said and then picked at his food a moment. “So, uhh… Just.... Just before we continue this… you do know my history, right? Why I am out here on this ship?” he asked, not looking up.

Harv - Chef

Shedda sat back just slightly meeting his gaze. Her fingers danced over the controls on the conference table, cancelling the security feeds. “That you used some kind of kitchen knife, that I won’t try to name and insult you by getting it wrong, to kill the bastard who assaulted and abused a member of your staff. Because he thought he was above the law and the law let him get away with it? Yes, I’m aware.” It was the first time Harv, or anyone on the ship for that matter had heard her cuss. She did it well and with the confidence of someone who only did so when it was necessary. Especially since her father would have literally washed her mouth out with soap for it.

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

He looked up at her, and there was… something… in his eyes that she had never seen. It was a look… an almost visible hesitation… that permeated his gaze as he took a deep breath. “And you know the bastard was an Orion, right?” He exhaled heavily. “And I ain’t telling you that because I like you despite the fact you are Orion. That’s not the case at all. I only hold him responsible for what he did. Not all Orions. And I’m not one of these weirdos that is fixated on the… um… well… ‘propaganda’ around Orion women, okay? I like you ‘cause you are smart, competent, and you dont change who you are for anyone.” For the first time, he actually softened and smiled at her. “I just like you, and I wanna spend time with ya.”

Harv - Chef

Wow… that looked changed her whole perception of him. Shedda smiled, but the slight raise of her brows and the twinkle gave her a mischievous look. “Really? You like spending time arguing with a stubborn, bull headed Commander who thinks she can boss everyone around? We need to get you a social life.” She was teasing him!

Harv smiled again and said “I’m working on it.”

“Yes, I know he was Orion. I honestly never thought you associated my being Orion with that. He deserved worse than what you gave him. As to the other,” Shedda shrugged softly, “You would be in for a huge disappointment. My father took me away so I would never have to endure such training.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv looked at her with a half-smile on his face. “I doubt you could be disappointing in any capacity. You are pretty special, after all. Don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you before.”

Harv - Chef

She swallowed the sip of her drink she was taking and then laughed. “Oh I have plenty of flaws, Harv. Don’t go into this thinking you can’t be disappointed.” Her cheeks became slightly darker. “Well, taking what the captain said about the clientele you used to serve, I will assume you’ve met quite a lot of different people. So thank you.”

Shedda took a bite of the food, and hummed slightly at the flavor. She dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “Okay, serious question time.” She leaned forward slightly, resting her forearms on the table. “Are you telepathic or what? How do you know exactly what to serve people before you even speak to them? That’s the magic. Not the creating of the food, but knowing what to make.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv laughed, a sound few if any on the Manhattan had the experience of hearing. It was deep, genuine, and carried much amusement in it. He shook his head as he took a drink and said “Naw… no telepathy.” He shrugged slightly and said “And it’s not magic. You said you and the Skipper talked about my past customers. Well, when you deal with their kind, you get really good at listening and reading body language.” He leaned back and really looked at her for a moment. “I overheard all kinds of stuff. Things about the ship, the crew… professional and personal. And I just kinda file away the bits that matter in my life of work. Some talks about a dessert they had on some resort planet. They go into detail. Well… I research it. Call the resort if I can. Whatever. And then I make sure I can make it. And when I see that individual having a rough day… or I w heard something that might be coming down to make their lives harder or even better… then I make that dish for ‘em.” He reached forward and lifted his glass, taking a drink. “See, the way I see it I owe a lot of people for doing what they did to get me where I am. Why they did it, I dunno. But I owe ‘em. So to help pay them back, I try to take care of the people they put me with. I’m not Star Fleet or anything… but an army marches on its stomach, right?”

Harv - Chef

“It certainly does,” Shedda agreed. She could go into all kinds of historical examples about it. “I don’t know, that still doesn’t explain how you know Every. Single. Time. It’s uncanny.” She nodded after a moment. “I can understand that. Wanting to give back. My dad and I did a lot of that back home. They shielded us, even hid us some times.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

“Tell me about that. How did you and Dad get off Orion? And do you have any other family?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Harv - Chef

“I don’t know all the specific details.” Shedda took a long pull of her drink before sitting back in the chair. “I was only a few days old when my father took me. My mother is Shodar Layshu.” She had been very well known when her father left, and probably still was. There was a chance Harv had heard of her. “My father was a gladiator and literally fought his way to the top and power. He and my mother were in love, as far as that went, or really cared deeply about each other. My father said something changed for him when he found out she was pregnant. Layshu was very entrenched in tradition. She had already decided give me to lesser slaves to raise until I was old enough to be tested and sold for training. My father wanted to raise me together. He knew, being her daughter, if I inherited certain things from her, meant there would be… more intense trainings or a worse life for me, depending. He decided he was done just following along. He wanted me to have better than him and more freedom than she had.”

If Harv knew the name, it didn’t show on his face. He did, however, listen I gently as Shedda spoke.

“Layshu suffered severe complications during my birth. She was more busy demanding care and attention and not on her new child. So he took advantage of her distraction, took me and fled. I was almost a year old when we finally got to Delotha. He gave up fighting and became a farmer.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv shook his head slightly. “Your dad seems to be a solid guy. You’re lucky. My parents were more religious than parent-like. If I never hear another hymn to the Prophets, it will be far too soon.” and he shook his head vigorously. “Nope. Religion ain’t my thing at all. Knew that when I was still a little kid. It’s why I ran away from Bajor when I was so young.”

Harv - Chef

“My father was never religious or adhered to the teachings from Orion. On Delitha, we’ll at least our little village, everyone brought their beliefs with them. Each was different, but I discovered listening to them there was a lot similar too. Mythology and religion fascinate me, but I’ve never really… believed in one. I have a hard time believing… No that’s not it. I refuse to bow to the whims of some omniscient being to control my life and make me a slave to their whims.”

“I got that from my father. He was amazing, strict sometimes, but I always knew it was just me and him against everything, and he would always be there.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv gave a soft, self-depricating kind of chuckle. “Ya know, I always kinda wondered what that would feel like… having some family that would stand by you no matter what.” He leaned back and said “I ran away from Bajor when I was just a kid, and my parents never even really tried to find me. ‘Will of the Prophets’ of some shit.” He shook his head dismissively. “You know I ran into them on Risa ‘bout a year before the whole thing happened? Yeah. They were there on vacation. Came into the restaurant and one of the servers noticed the same last name.” He laughed, but it wasn’t a humor-filled one. “Came outta the kitchen and walked up to table. Asked ‘em how their meal was.” His eyes focused past her… back in time. ” My mom smiled and thanked me for a great meal. Said I must have proud parents…” There was a small pause and then his eyes snapped back to Shedda’s.

“They didn’t even recognize me.”

Harv - Chef

“I’m sorry, Harv. It sounds like you made your own family on Risa, though.” The way Alex told it, Harv had been really close to the people in his restaurant. “I hope you’ve found a little bit of that here.” She did, and not meaning whatever was or was not happening with them. Everyone deserved to have people that cared about them, checked on them.

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Bump

“Oh, I have.” he said. “And I learned a long time ago, the family you choose is sometimes more important than the family you are born into.” He looked at her for a few silent moments and then said “Why do you keep folks at arms length, do you think? Can’t just be because you’re Orion.”

Harv - Chef

Shedda wiped her mouth before sitting back. She turned her glass once before taking a sip and setting it back down. “No, not just because I’m Orion. Though that is a part of it. Like you, I learned that the family you choose is more important than anything. I grew up on a border colony that was ignored most of the time. It was harsh and cruel.” Her gaze took on a far away look with a flash of pain or fear in it. “I learned that chosen family is everything, but I also learned to be very picky about who that is, and who to trust, who to let in. That appearances are often masks.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

“In my experience,-” Harv said with long, steady look at her, “- the masks are a lot more dangerous than the face behind them.”

Harv - Chef

“Usually, but I learned the hard way to be wary of both. Often what is behind the mask is a rat that has been cornered.”

“I am slowly learning to let some of that suspicion go. Or at least to hide it better, sometimes.” She chuckled softly. “What about you, Harv? Is it just because you don’t want people to know you murdered that trash or is it something else?”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

“Oh, I have never cared who knew about that.” Harv said with a dismissive shake of his head. “If I had my way, I’d be walking around without a care in the world until some jag-bag with a marker collected my price. But I, unfortunately, had made the acquaintance of several people who deal in that crap a lot better than me and who had a lot of hatred towards that particular crime family… so I ended up under the guiding hand of some Intel spook guy and he ‘killed’ me and then dropped me out here.” He paused and looked out the window for a moment. “Huh. Haven’t heard from him in a bit. Wonder if he’s still around?”

Harv - Chef

“That would be easy enough to find out. Maybe not without consequences, but easy enough to look up if you ever want to.” She scooped another bite of her plate and ate slowly for a moment. “So, maybe you’ll appease my curiosity. Is your name really Char’les Harv? Or did the Intel spook give you a new name?”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Harv chuckled “Well, most people used to call me Charlie… but yeah, that’s my real name. Not the one I use in the computer, of course. My ‘babysitter’ set up that up as Cantical Reed. So all my electronic life is under that name.” He stopped talking for a moment and then said “You know, you really are pretty incredible. Don’t think I’ve met anyone as singularly smart as you in a really long time. Cochrane, maybe… but that’s a different kind of smart. Why did you go into archaeology?”

Harv - Chef

“Charlie?” She tested it out. It didn’t sit right. It was too… well first off it was his surname, so a human convention then. And Harv just… the sounds were rougher fit his personality better. Maybe it didn’t once. There was a whole other person that he used to be. Well that he left behind to an extent.

It was very strange having Harv compliment her. They were always at odds. She accepted it with grace though. “Thank you. Though I can agree Cochrane is smart, but he’s also meddlesome and cocky.” She took a sip of her glass before answering. “On Delotha, where I grew up, there were a lot of ruins. I used to go exploring them when I was a kid. I loved finding things left behind and trying to figure out what they were for. How they evolved into what we have to day. I was fascinated by it. I still am.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

” He is that, for sure.” Harv agreed. He gave her a slight smile and said ” But I ain’t ever gonna tell him that I don’t really mind it this time.” He leaned back and then asked ” So why not keep doing it? Why go into Command and all that?”

Harv - Chef

“I’m not telling him either,” she laughed. “I like to have a challenge. I enjoyed being a chief science officer, but I wanted to push myself and command was the next step.” Once I got into the program I really enjoyed, and,” Shedda gave a rueful smile, “part of it was I wanted to prove to myself I could lead and not be like my mother.”

Cmdr. Mal’athar, XO

Bump