Coffee and Breakfast

Posted on Thu Aug 20th, 2020 @ 5:26am by Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani

Mission: Season 3: Episode 4: Cause and Effect
Location: The Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 06 0700
1008 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON]

The trip through the Void was obviously having effects on people, and it seemed that many people were unconsciously seeking people out, banding together against an unseen, intangible threat they couldn't describe or name.

As a result, the mess was packed, even for breakfast. Even Miraj, born in space, at home in space, was starting to feel the same pressure, and had arrived for breakast. She had her plate of bacon and mushrooms but no obvious place to sit. She scanned the room, but even after being aboard for a week she didnt really recognise anyone. There was a little space, around a blonde human woman in Operations yellow, and she headed for it before any of the Cadets made a dash for it.

Seeing the three gold pips on the woman's collar she hesitated. "May I sit, commander?"

Lia was sitting sipping a cup of coffee, her duty shift was about to start. A voice made her look up, an Ensign stood with her breakfast. "Sure Ensign, plant your butt and have your breakfast. I'm just having a cup of Joe before starting, you are?" She felt as if she should know the Ensign's name, but right now her brain wasn't firing on all cylinders.

"Miraj, maam, Derani. I'm the new ACFCO. I started a few days ago., just before we left Stardock," Miraj sat herself down and started attcking her eggs.

A small grin appeared on Lia's face, "Oh one of Anje's little gang, so how are you finding the Elysium?" She then looked at Derani's breakfast, "Tell me Ensign, do you intend to eat that or climb it?"

"Elysium is lovely. Very stately and elegant. And the QSD is lots of fun." She gobbled up more mushrooms. "Eat it. I couldn't climb it. It would squash it all."

Lia gave out a small laugh, "Sorry Ensign, but where I'm born. We say that to imply that you have rather a lot of food on your plate, kind of a gentle joke". She took another sip of her coffee, "So have you flown this bird yet? Or are you still in training?"

"Oh yes, several shifts now, and I was at helm when we used the QSD, that was so cool. Its so nice to fly ships that arent just working, but right at their peak." Miraj went after her bacon like she hadnt eaten in a week. She'd lost track of time yesterday and missed dinner again. "Where were you born?"

"I was born in the Dorset town of Poole, that's in England. Where where you born Ensign?" She had no problem telling people about herself, but had the Ensign been male Lia wouldn't have given him an answer.

"On a pirate ship," Miraj said with unabashed glee. "The Iro Maché, or Serpents Tooth"

"A Pirate ship? Really?" Finding it hard to believe, Lia gave the Ensign a sideways look. It wasn't as if she disbelieved her, just didn't quite know if she was telling the whole truth.

Miraj nodded. "My mother was - is," she corrected herself, more out of hope than anything else, "a pirate. Captain of the Serpent's Tooth in fact. My father was piloting a small ship with some VIPs in during the dominion war that she took hostage. They had a thing, whilst he was her prisoner."

"Oh I see, so it sounds like they may to be together now. So who raised you?" Holmes knew Pirates wouldn't let one of their own join Star Fleet, so had her father raised her? She glanced at her watch, almost time to report to the bridge. Finishing her coffee, she waited for the Ensign to answer. Then she would have to excuse herself, she had a job to do.

"They're not together." Miraj said, fork stopping half way to her lips. "Dad left when the ransom was paid. My mother left me at DS9 a year later. Dad had gone back to starfleet, but then he left to raise me and my big brother." she finished her forful of bacon and asked. "What about your Dad?"

The question hit Lia hard, "My Father wasn't exactly my favourite person, lets just say we didn't get along". She wasn't about to expose her family's dark past to an Ensign, "My family and I didn't get along, that's one of the reasons I joined Star Fleet". Pushing her coffee cup forwards, she looked at the rapidly filling Mess hall, "When does your watch start? Or are you just finishing?"

"Starts at 8," Miraj said, hastily swallowing, "But hand over at half past, so eating fast." And she proved the point by grabbing the penultimate pile of mushrooms. "I'm sorry about your father."

Lia stood up, "In that case Ensign, both of us had better get our skates on. Or we'll both be late, now chow down while I return this mug". She walked over to the recycle pad and placed her mug on it, within seconds it was gone. She turned to see where Miraj was, "Next time Ensign, don't try and eat half a pig. Just how do you stay in shape?" Lia laughed as she said the last part, she was beginning to like the Ensign.

Miraj shrugged and swallowed the last of her breakfast. "Good genes? And I forget to eat a lot." She wiped her mouth with a napkin. "So it evens out."

"Really? I bet you and the Doc must have some very interesting talks, skipping meals ain't a good thing". Lia moved towards the exit, "Right Ensign, grab a turbo lift for the bridge. Or we're both going to be on report".

Miraj threw her dirty plate into the nearest reclamator. "Right behind you, ma'am."

Lia smiled as she entered the turbo lift, "Bridge". She glanced at the Ensign as the doors closed, *Anje's got a good department, if they're all like this one* she thought.

Ensign Miraj Derani
ACFCO
USS Elysium

Commander Lia Holmes
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Elysium

OFF

 

Comments (2)