Today, 12:24 AM
“Spiced Vulcan Tea, with extra ginger and red pepper flakes, please,” Sovar replied. So far, the new First Officer had given nothing away. Mara had expected no less.
“I gotcha,” she replied, heading back to the door. “Hey Rurak,” she called, catching the attention of a young Vulcan junior officer. “I need a mug o’ your best spiced tea, with extra ginger and red pepper flakes. Hook me up?”
Rurak was practically vibrating with the sudden ego boost that came from knowing the Security Chief needed her expertise.
“Yes Chief. Immediately,” she replied, pulling open a desk drawer and springing into action.
There was a feral smile on Calleja’s lips as she turned back to the FO. The Security Chief had a gift for remembering things about people, and she’d overheard Rurak talking passionately about tea when the new coffee machines first went in.
Not my taste, but I think we got someone who will appreciate it if Rurak can back it up.
Mara listened as Sovar apologised for the interruption, and gave a very brief explanation of why he’d appeared unbidden in the middle of the Security Office.
“Is this a tradition of yours, to put visitors to your office at ease?” he finished.
“Yeah,” Calleja replied, with a shrug that Sovar couldn’t see because she was stood behind him. “I don’t know how much you read into me, but I got a reputation. Some of it’s kinda cool. I turn up to a fight an’ suddenly there ain’t a fight any more ‘cause none o’ them wanna fight me. But it’s also a real drag sometimes, ‘cause you can’t rule by fear. I need people to feel like they can talk to me. And I gotta admit, I want them to see me as more than this half-feral gang bitch image I carry round. There’s no hidin’ what I am or where I come from. But there’s more to me than that.”
Rurak arrived at the door, and Mara waved her in.
“Ensign Rurak got very strong opinions on spiced tea,” she said. “Ensign, this is Commander Sovar, our new FO. An’ your first customer.”
Rurak approached and reverentially laid down a cup and saucer on the Chief’s desk in front of the FO, a small spoon resting on the tiny plate. Aromatic wisps of steam rose gently from the hot liquid.
“Commander,” she intoned, nodding to Sovar. “May I present my finest blend, with extra ginger and red pepper as requested. It comes from S’Lara, and in particular…”
“Thank you Ensign,” Mara interjected, stopping the speech she could see coming. “I appreciate ya bringin’ out yer best. I’ll be sure to pass on what the Commander says.”
There was the faintest flash of disappointment across the young woman’s face, before she nodded.
“Yes Chief,” she replied. “I would advise allowing the tea to brew before drinking. I hope you enjoy it, Commander,” she added, bowing her head before leaving.
Mara closed the door behind the Ensign.
“I thought I’d best cut that one short. We nearly had beverage wars when I put those coffee machines in. Rurak was ready to fight for Team Tea,” she said with a half smile.
The Security Chief then took a seat. She didn’t do so behind the desk, but alongside Sovar in front of it.
“Speakin’ of puttin’ people at ease. This I do for me as well as them,” she said. “I absolutely fuckin’ hate it when people sit behind desks like it makes them better than you. Like the piece of furniture somehow makes up for their many many inadequacies. So I vowed I wasn’t gonna be that kinda senior officer. You wanna come talk to me, let’s talk.”
Mara leaned forward, reaching past the terminal to retrieve her coffee mug, before sinking back into the chair.
“Don’t get me wrong, I know there’s times when bein’ on the other side of the desk is the right move,” she added. “But it ain’t every time. And if I’m gonna spend time in these chairs, then I want them comfy, ‘cause with my build it ain’t always easy to get settled.”
She took a sip from her coffee, watching carefully as Sovar processed what she’d said and how she’d said it. Calleja hadn’t meant to start dropping profanities quite as quickly as she had, but it didn’t bother her now that she had. Her informality helped keep her at ease. Given her abysmal record with command officers who weren’t legendary Southern redheads, it would have been all too easy for the Security Chief to overthink this meeting. As it was, the often-mercurial officer felt calm and in control of herself.
Hopefully I can keep it up…
== Back atcha! ==
“I gotcha,” she replied, heading back to the door. “Hey Rurak,” she called, catching the attention of a young Vulcan junior officer. “I need a mug o’ your best spiced tea, with extra ginger and red pepper flakes. Hook me up?”
Rurak was practically vibrating with the sudden ego boost that came from knowing the Security Chief needed her expertise.
“Yes Chief. Immediately,” she replied, pulling open a desk drawer and springing into action.
There was a feral smile on Calleja’s lips as she turned back to the FO. The Security Chief had a gift for remembering things about people, and she’d overheard Rurak talking passionately about tea when the new coffee machines first went in.
Not my taste, but I think we got someone who will appreciate it if Rurak can back it up.
Mara listened as Sovar apologised for the interruption, and gave a very brief explanation of why he’d appeared unbidden in the middle of the Security Office.
“Is this a tradition of yours, to put visitors to your office at ease?” he finished.
“Yeah,” Calleja replied, with a shrug that Sovar couldn’t see because she was stood behind him. “I don’t know how much you read into me, but I got a reputation. Some of it’s kinda cool. I turn up to a fight an’ suddenly there ain’t a fight any more ‘cause none o’ them wanna fight me. But it’s also a real drag sometimes, ‘cause you can’t rule by fear. I need people to feel like they can talk to me. And I gotta admit, I want them to see me as more than this half-feral gang bitch image I carry round. There’s no hidin’ what I am or where I come from. But there’s more to me than that.”
Rurak arrived at the door, and Mara waved her in.
“Ensign Rurak got very strong opinions on spiced tea,” she said. “Ensign, this is Commander Sovar, our new FO. An’ your first customer.”
Rurak approached and reverentially laid down a cup and saucer on the Chief’s desk in front of the FO, a small spoon resting on the tiny plate. Aromatic wisps of steam rose gently from the hot liquid.
“Commander,” she intoned, nodding to Sovar. “May I present my finest blend, with extra ginger and red pepper as requested. It comes from S’Lara, and in particular…”
“Thank you Ensign,” Mara interjected, stopping the speech she could see coming. “I appreciate ya bringin’ out yer best. I’ll be sure to pass on what the Commander says.”
There was the faintest flash of disappointment across the young woman’s face, before she nodded.
“Yes Chief,” she replied. “I would advise allowing the tea to brew before drinking. I hope you enjoy it, Commander,” she added, bowing her head before leaving.
Mara closed the door behind the Ensign.
“I thought I’d best cut that one short. We nearly had beverage wars when I put those coffee machines in. Rurak was ready to fight for Team Tea,” she said with a half smile.
The Security Chief then took a seat. She didn’t do so behind the desk, but alongside Sovar in front of it.
“Speakin’ of puttin’ people at ease. This I do for me as well as them,” she said. “I absolutely fuckin’ hate it when people sit behind desks like it makes them better than you. Like the piece of furniture somehow makes up for their many many inadequacies. So I vowed I wasn’t gonna be that kinda senior officer. You wanna come talk to me, let’s talk.”
Mara leaned forward, reaching past the terminal to retrieve her coffee mug, before sinking back into the chair.
“Don’t get me wrong, I know there’s times when bein’ on the other side of the desk is the right move,” she added. “But it ain’t every time. And if I’m gonna spend time in these chairs, then I want them comfy, ‘cause with my build it ain’t always easy to get settled.”
She took a sip from her coffee, watching carefully as Sovar processed what she’d said and how she’d said it. Calleja hadn’t meant to start dropping profanities quite as quickly as she had, but it didn’t bother her now that she had. Her informality helped keep her at ease. Given her abysmal record with command officers who weren’t legendary Southern redheads, it would have been all too easy for the Security Chief to overthink this meeting. As it was, the often-mercurial officer felt calm and in control of herself.
Hopefully I can keep it up…
== Back atcha! ==