Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Pretha Oberon (Chief Security Officer) in COS Office, Reporting in

Posted by Ensign Toren Nalar (Security Officer) in COS Office, Reporting in

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Pretha Oberon (Chief Security Officer) in COS Office, Reporting in

SNIP

Toren approached the door to the COS office with a certain sense of unease. It hadn’t been that long ago that he had called this office alone, in fact, it had been in here that he and Micah had first been together. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if it had been in this room that Lake had been so unexpectedly conceived.

He stepped up to the door and pressed the chime, it felt awkward, like having to the ring the doorbell on your own house.

When the doors slid open, he stepped inside “Ensign Toren Nalar, reporting” he said crisply, hiding his awkwardness under a mask of professionalism.

Ensign Nalar

Pretha was standing at the window, a Padd in one hand, a cup in the other. “Ensign Nolar, welcome. Come in and make yourself comfortable. I hope the new arrangement and decor aren’t an offense.” She nodded to the room where the desk had been moved to the other side of the room and a large table with half a dozen chairs around it was in the center of the room. Padds, data sticks, and a console were at the table and a tray with a pitcher and glasses as well.

“Welcome back,” she added as she nodded to the replicator. “Help yourself and make yourself comfortable. So what brings you back to the Olympic? Not many want to do a second tour on a ship they already left.” She knew his ex and his child were here, but he had left. She had figured he wouldn’t come back. Wanting to know the ‘why’ would help her decide just how this was going to play out.

Pretha
CoS

Toren sat down, his posture was relaxed, but his mind was on guard, unsure if this one could be trusted “Well if you read beyond my time on the Olympic, you’ll know I spent time in Federation Prison for some unpleasantness that occurred the last time I was here. My departure wasn’t exactly voluntary” he spoke lightly as if the violence and subsequent incarceration were of no consequence.

“After that, I spent time on just about every crappy assignment Starfleet has to offer, mining colonies, trade posts, prison stations, if it’s repetitive, tedious or dangerous, then I’ve probably been assigned to it, I feel like someone upstairs has it in for me” he phrased it as a joke, masking the truth with laughter.

“Anyway, I guess I did my time in purgatory because someone decided I was allowed to come back into the light, you probably know my Daughter and her mother are aboard. I haven’t seen either of them since I was locked up, and apart from Birthday gifts, I doubt my daughter knows me at all” He kept the sadness out of his voice, even as it threatened to overwhelm him.

Ensign Nalar

His place in her mind went up several notches as he spoke plain and clear of his background. Setting the padd down, she sat on the edge of her desk and looked at him. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to be away from a kid, Ensign. And yes, I know why you left, where you’ve been, and the fact you requested and were granted a trip back here.” Pretha clasped her hands on her knee and looked at him till she had his eyes on her own. “I need to know if you are going to be a liability, Nolan. Does your baby’s momma know you were coming back? And was she accepting of it? Because I don’t need to be constantly fighting you cause you are fighting her. Do you understand?” She wasn’t being mean or cruel, and was even keeping a calm face as she had with her greeting. But there was no doubt in her words that while she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, it wasn’t out of foolishness or naivety.

Pretha
CoS

Toren smiled, but there was no warmth in it “Oh I can assure you, Lieutenant, I’ve no intention of getting into any fights” He spoke truthfully, although, knowing Micah, he half-expected to be given little choice in the matter. “As you being a liability, I say this with no arrogance, but I used to run this department, mine and Micah’s relationship wasn’t exactly a classic romance, but it never got in the way of me doing my job, of that you can be certain.” His voice was level, but there was a hint of a challenge in the way he spoke, as if he was daring her to doubt him.

Ensign Nalar