: : : It was a beautiful morning. The sun rose in the sky, glowing a deep orange and painting the sky pink as it did. Sathut had been awake for at least an hour already, enjoying a nice cup of Jinnen that his sister had prepared for him. He was staying with Res and her mate, having spent a day of his vacation with each of his siblings that lived on the planet.
: : :
: : : He heard the song of the Tujoh birds, welcoming the morning with gladness. The feline glanced beside him, where a small kitten sat on her mother’s chair, smiling at him. His niece, only two years old and already so enthusiastic and joyful. She had been so happy to finally meet her uncle from Starfleet.
: : :
: : : He chuckled, patting her head as he stood up, his robe flowing around his legs as he walked back into the house. “I’ll be leaving soon,” he said with a small sad look, causing his sister to sigh.
: : :
: : : “Be safe, brother,” she spoke gently, hugging him and pressing their cheeks together.
: : :
: : : “I will be. Ruvu will be in the engine, making sure of that,” he chuckled, her whiskers tickling his nose.
: : :
: : : - Sathut
: : : (To be continued)
: :
: : That evening, another tight hug was exchanged between two Raka, brothers. Sathut was glad to see Ruvu, and the other male was just as happy to see his brother.
: :
: : The ship, the Parthenon, was off quickly. A unique ship, made for a fully Raka crew, it was absolutely tiny in comparison to most Galdori Ships. Sathut found himself actually having to duck under a few doorframes, which was somewhat unexpected.
: :
: : A few days passed, and they reached the rendezvous point with the Olympic. The Parthenon was less than half the length of the Federation ship, and the shuttle that carried Sathut over was made for Raka as well, so it was small as well. They flew into the cargo bay, and Sathut was offloaded. After a heartfelt goodbye to his brother, the shuttle returned to the Parthenon and the Galdori ship was off to its next destination.
: :
: : Sathut smiled to himself, and headed along the corridors, checking a small device on his wrist for map directions to the bridge. He had studied the ship schematics before arriving, but it was always good to check.
: :
: : - Sathut
: : (To be continued)
:
: Arriving at the Captain’s ready room, Sathut rang the chime by pressing his wrist device. He was a strange little creature, only three feet tall and looking for all the world like puss in boots come to life. But with dark tabby fur. He wore, instead of the usual Starfleet attire, a flowing robe that was a deep blue colour. His left ear bore several golden bands along the outside edge, and he also wore a silver-coloured band around his right ankle, which although not visible under his robe, was quite beautifully made.
:
: He smiled charmingly at the human and non-human officers on the bridge while he waited for the door to open.
:
: Sathut

“Come.” The word sounded from the other side of the door. When they parted, Sathut would find the Captain sitting behind her desk in dim lighting, going over information on a PaDD.

When she looked up to see who had arrived, one side of her mouth raised in a smile. “You have to be Lt Sathut. Please, come in.”

—Thorne, CO

Sathut entered the room and saluted in the Earth way, this action showing his three-fingered hands quite clearly. When he relaxed, the small alien stepped over to the visitor’s chair and in one graceful move, leaped up onto it. He sat with his back against the back of the chair, his legs stretched out forwards - looking for all the world like a small child on a much-too-large chair. “Sathut of Galdor, reporting for duty, sir,” he added with a charming smile, standing up on the chair for a moment to hand her a PADD containing his personnel info.

Sathut

OOC: This is my 3rd attempt to write and post this note!!! :/
IC:
Thorne took the PaDD and quickly scanned the orders. Everything seemed to be in order. She was still smiling when she seated herself behind the desk. “You were a surprise when I received the transfer orders, Lt. I’ve never met a Raka before, nor seen one in person, but I’m very happy to make your acquaintance.”

As the office was dimmed to her liking, the blue glasses she usually wore were sitting on the desk. She gave Sathut as non obtrusive a look over as she could manage. “I apologize if my eyes are too curious, but you are so…different.”

—Thorne, CO

“Please, Captain, call me Sathut,” he said with a friendly smile. He met her eyes. “I do not fault your curiosity, Captain. I am not of a common species within Starfleet. In fact, I am one of… If I recall correctly, there are only five Raka on active duty in Starfleet at this time. Myself, I am the only one not in Engineering,” he purred.

Sathut had a strange calming presence, perhaps due to the fact that he was so like a house cat and those things were so very calming. The deep rumble of his purring continued even as his words ceased.

Sathut

In one of those odd mental hiccups that came to a person from out of left field, Shirazi wondered if the Raka liked to be petted, and if so, how many people would succumb to the same urge she had to just do it. With a little start, she realized how far off track her mind had wandered and with a little shake of her head, she brought herself back around to the situation at hand.

“Well, we are pleased to have you on the crew. I am in favor of diversity on a star ship. Sometimes we are in space for several months or years at a time and the variety of species and their knowledge can be a great boon. How successful are you with being accepted as a counselor among your fellow crew members?”

—Thorne, CO

“Apart from a few times where I have been mistaken for a dolled up housecat by more… closed minded people, my experience has been rather positive. The nature of my species being similar to a creature of comfort to many humans means that they tend to be somewhat more relaxed around me than they might be with another human or alien,” he explained.

He did, of course enjoy physical touch just as a human might, and perhaps he had a few particularly sensitive spots like behind his ears and under his chin, but touch like that was rather intimate and only done between mates.

Sathut

OOC: I’m sorry!! I lost this thread and then couldn’t remember how to get back to it. sigh

“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m not really worried that you won’t be accepted, the crew of the Olympic are quite gracious in that department.” It might have something to do with having a non human CO, but she didn’t know that for a fact. “It’s always exciting for me when I have the occasion to meet an unfamiliar species. It reaffirms just how big the universe is and how lucky I am to be able to explore it.”

—Thorne, CO