Talking Shop

Posted on Tue Sep 15th, 2020 @ 8:55am by Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Lieutenant JG Nerinath zh'Rhilror [Lalor]

Mission: Season 3: Episode 4: Cause and Effect
Location: Arcadia bar
Timeline: MD 01 2000
813 words - 1.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Miraj was still putting names to faces so she took her book to the bar in the hopes of spotting people and making connections. And if she didn't, well, she had the adventures of Bloodbeard the pirate to keep her company.

But she quickly saw one face she's been sort of avoiding. The other pilot, Ensign zh'Rhilror. She'd quickly found at the academy that many other pilots didn't like her much. She'd been a nobody who hadn't had any formal training, only to run rings around all them and made it look easy, and most cadets hadn't appreciated that at all.

But she didn't recall seeing her, so maybe she wouldn't know. Miraj squared her shoulders. Might as well give it a shot. She collected a milkshake from the bar, and went over. "Hi. I'm Miraj. I've just joined in Flight Control. I thought I'd come and say hello."

"Hello. I am Nerinath. People call me Neri. Welcome to the team." the Andorian said with a smile.

"Thanks." Miraj say herself down, even though she hadn't been invited. The relief at not being given a cold shoulder threatened to take her out at the knees. "So, have you been here long?"

"A few months give or take. I arrived under Commander Qwyyn. She was a tough one."

Miraj shook her head, setting her bunches bouncing. "I didn't know her. She was reassigned before I came on board i think. What about the rest of the crew? What are they like? Do you know many?"

"Yeah about 95% of the department was reasigned just before this mission." Neri sighed. "Commander Lovejoy is gonna find a world of hurt when we get back home. The captain was NOT impressed, which is putting it politely. But as for the remaining people? They are basically crewmen ranked or lower, none of them have experience piloting this type of craft at all. But they are nice and good. Captain Lalor does not allow bigots or racists on her ship."

"Commander Lovejoy?" Miraj hadn't heard the name before, but the Andorian woman certainly didn't seem impressed with him. "I don't know him."

"Count yourself lucky. I have heard about him from others on the ship. A few months ago, He came here with a Commodore and another officer for inspections. It was rumoured that he and the Chief Engineer were having an affair and that he wanted to throw the captains sister, who is a minor by the way out of her cabin, because the captain and senior staff were missing and the Commodore was taking over. It was a major issue on the ship. And the general opinion was that Lovejoy was a major jerk."

Miraj's jaw dropped. "Throwing out a minor? When her sister is missing? He's not a jerk, he's a poxy bilge rat." She sucked on her milkshake.

"well the other officer contacted the Captains home world and asked them to come collect the Sister, both the captain and the Sister have legal status of Federation Citizens and if they return home face execution." Neri shrugged. "That guy, Commander Albright I think his name was, was in big trouble"

"Damn." Miraj thought about it. Sending someone back to executed? that was a cockup and a half. "Are all the brass this place attracts as bad?"

"No just those two" Neri smiled.

"Small mercies." There was an awkward silence. "So, what's she like to fly? Elysium I mean."

"I find her wonderful to fly. Only done it a couple of times, but I got to pull her out of dock, it was the best feeling ever."

"Oh? Miraj asked hopefully. Maybe the andorian would understand about how it felt for her to start flying, that moment when everything seemed to roll out and over and there was just that sense of being a single thing. Not man and machine, but neither and both, and more.

"Yes, she responds so effortlessly its amazing."

"I felt it when we first left. The inertial dampeners on her are really something. I'ld love to be able to open her up in empty space. See if I get a barrel roll or a crazy ivan out of her."

"Beam the command crew off before you do that" Neri laughed. "Though with the dampeners they wont feel a things."

Miraj gave Neri a wicked grin. "If I do that, they won't have any fun. Whats the point of having a sexy ship like this one if you don't stretch it a bit?"

Neri grinned back. "I like you!" She said. "Good to know we have a new assistant chief, who will push the limits."

Miraj tried to look innocent and failed. "What are limits?"

Neri just laughed at that. "Well, If there are limits, I am sure you will find them just fine."

"Find them, note them, blow right through them," Miraj promised.