It didn’t take long to reach the bridge and no one questioned her on the way. Zef was used to what she looked like, but at the beginning of every posting, she tended to turn heads with her unusual coloring. Dressed in the black and teal of science, she stood outside the Ready Room and smoothed, steady hands down the front of her uniform. After a deep, cleansing breath, Zef raised her hand and palmed the chime—alerting the officer inside that he had a visitor.

—Rollo, CNS

The door silently slid open to reveal the office beyond. The office was organized, but had the feel of both authority… and peace. Two bookcases on one wall stood with shelves lined with actual books behind their glass doors. Pictures had been mounted around the room showing both places and people, many of them featuring the same person. Various odds and ends graced places here and there. Displayed prominently, however, alone on a shelf high up on the wall directly behind the desk that sat opposite the door, was the lone figure of a gold Ox. Lighting had been directed so that it drew the eye of anyone who came through the door almost immediately.

Seated behind the desk was a human male in the red uniform of Command officers. He looked up as the doors opened. His hair was black, making the bright blue eyes beneath the well-groomed hair even more intense. He had a youthful appearance, somewhat more so than the Captain’s pips at his collar would seem to indicate. He smiled warmly as the new ship’s Counselor entered and stood up. He was tall, but not overly so; and had a lithe, athletic build.

Zef let her eyes drift around the room before she focused on the man. She watched him rise and hold out a hand in Terran fashion.

“Ah, Lieutenant Commander Rollo. So nice to meet you.” and he extended his hand towards her. His voice was pleasant, with a very slight British accent. “Captain Alexander Cochrane. I trust your trip to the station was uneventful?”
Cochrane, CO

Well, the greeting was warmer than she’d expected, eliciting a small smile from her. “How do you do, Captain Cochrane?” Zef clasped his hand with her own. It was a mannerism she’d practiced while in Starfleet Academy, taking special pains to get it just right. Firm with one or two small up and down shakes. “Yes, Sir. I’m glad to report my travel was uneventful. A very quiet trip, actually, once the pilot understood I wasn’t much for chit chat.”

As their hands met, Zef looked down and compared their different coloring. Silently, she gave the CO extra points for not showing any surprise at her appearance. A lot of first meetings included a flicker of surprise when someone caught their first look at her.

“Thank you for having me on the Manhattan, Sir.”

—Rollo, CNS

Cochrane nodded once and released her hand after a brief moment, and indicated a chair in front of the desk as he himself took a seat. “Of course. You come highly recommended. And I must say, your record is impressive. So before we begin, is there… anything particular… you wish to discuss? Any concerns or issues you feel we should get out in the open before we discuss the particulars of your assignment?” he asked, a very slight look of expectation, perhaps resignation, on his face.

Cochrane, CO

Perhaps he hadn’t read her full record? Was it possible he didn’t know about…certain things? She made a decision then. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt. “No, Sir, this isn’t my first posting so I’m familiar with what to expect.” And in truth, except for a particular ritual she took part in on her home planet, her record was free from unprofessional accusations or problems of any kind. “It is a very large ship, though. Are there any support crew for my department?”

—Rollo, CNS

Cochrane’s eyes twinkled slightly and he said “So you don’t want to talk about the giant red flag that follows you from station to station? Hm. How very un-Counselor like.” he said with a slight grin.

Cochrane, CO

So…he DID know. “I thought you might not have read that far in my service record yet. ” She pulled in a deep breath and exhaled through softly colored lips. “There isn’t much to say about it, Captain, except that it has caused me to be moved around a lot. I’ve been in Starfleet fourteen years now and have served on eight ships, with a three year leave of absence. So…” Blue-grey eyes looked directly across the desk at the man there—a steady gaze, unapologetic. “Did you know my history before you agreed to take me on?”

—Rollo, CNS

Cochrane outright smiled and leaned back. “Yep. I vette every officer coming on board very heavily. We had some… issues… when I first got here. Learned quickly that the brass doesn’t always have the ship’s best interest at heart when they assign people here.” and he looked intently at Rollo for a few long moments, his demeanor changing from amused and friendly, to stern and serious.

Finally speaking, he leaned forward and said “Counselor. I want to make something very clear to you from the beginning, all right?”

“I refuse to let Command use the Manhattan as a dumping ground for their problem children. They see our distance as a way to shunt off the… less desirable… candidates. I see our distance as the main reason not to allow that to happen. So if you are here, you need to know and take to heart something. I read every last thing about you I could find. I looked at your Academy transcripts, your fitness evals, your promotion citations… hell, I read your dissertation and your mother’s obituary. If you are here, then I wanted you here.” and he leaned back, the seriousness of his demeanor abruptly shifting back to the more relaxed and jovial manner. “And as far as your… cultural identity… goes, I could really care less. What your people do is their own business, and I have no say in that. The only time we will discuss the matter is if it becomes an issue for you. As far as I am concerned, you are a Star Fleet officer and this ship’s Counselor. I expect you to make those roles your priority as long as you are here. Understand?”

Cochrane, CO

The Counselor’s mouth opened and closed without expelling any words. “I didn’t expect quite this level of understanding from you. Admiral Long, who assigned me to the Manhattan, had something like that in mind, I’m sure. He wanted me as far away from him as I could get. I don’t know anything for sure, but I’d bet money that the Manhattan’s next mission will take us a long way from Earth. Unfortunately for me, the Admiral isn’t as open minded as you seem to be. He told me that the Cho Khai actually made him vomit the first time heard about it.”

Feeling more relaxed now that they’d acknowledge the elephant in the room and were still talking, Zef sat back in her chair, placing her hands in her lap. “You have my word, Captain Cochran, that I will do my very best to look after the officers on the ship and I would sooner eat Gach, which I can’t even think about for more than a second or two, than bring shame of any kind to the uniform.”

—Rollo, CNS

Cochrane laughed. “Well, I like gagh, so I know how to punish you if you if you do.” and he laughed again. “And as far as Long goes… he’s a pompous bureaucrat with delusions of knowing what he is doing. Don’t let him get under your skin.” and he shook his head for a moment.

“So tell me. Have you had a chance to review the personnel files? And do you have any ideas for what we can do to bolster morale, being so far from home? Oh, and in regards to your question about support staff… You have one yeoman to handle your appointments and monitor the reception room outside your office. But they are a Security officer, not Medical. But Yeoman Brooks is very adept at making people feel safe and comfortable. I think you’ll like him.”

Cochrane, CO

“Yeoman Brooks…Alright, he can keep me organized AND safe.” Her face lit up when she smiled. “I’ll make sure to have a sit down with him sometime in the next 24 hours. As far as getting through the personnel files, I’ve just come on board, so I’ll be plowing through them over the next few days. As I do, I’ll make notes about any concerns. I plan to have at least the department heads come in for a quick visit just so we can meet eye to eye. Its always good to know who you’re working with.”

Zef reached up and tugged gently on her right ear lobe. It was something she did when her thoughts prompted an action she wasn’t sure about. “I have a request, Sir. I understand that you and the XO…and perhaps the Chief Medical Officer need to have full access to my personal history, but I would like not to alienate everyone on the ship in the next week—so could you limit access to the records on the Cho Khai? Would that be possible?” Again, she fixed him with that unwavering gaze.

—Rollo, CNS