Unauthorised access.

Posted on Tue Jan 18th, 2022 @ 8:51am by Captain Natacha Patani & Lieutenant Commander S'hib

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Deck 32 - Marine County
1452 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

"Think it's too big..." S'hib remarked as he stared at a vase sitting atop of Naxea's desk, the plume of flowers, a mix of Bajoran and Sequus and the only vestige of colour that wasn't green or grey.

"I mean she'll see it straight away no matter what..." He continued as he glanced about the office, wondering if it would look better atop one of the few other pieces of minimalistic, function over form furniture that occupied her office.

"Dunes I need to get her a rug or something." He sighed, placing his hands on his hips as he glanced about. "I should probably ask her first, but then she'll say no anyway... damn it Naxea." He snorted, bringing a hand up to scratch his long neck.

A Marine reporting to any new assignment received a number of briefings. Often as important in helping a Marine get her bearings, particularly to an assignment like the Elysium, was reliable scuttlebutt. And Natacha had already been advised of the relationship between her new commanding officer and the security officer standing in Lt. Col. Azhul's office.

Tapping on the doorframe of the Colonel's office, Natacha asked, "I'm afraid the Colonel isn't here at the moment, Commander. May I be of some assistance?"

"Her not being here is the idea," S'hib remarked as he turned around. "Wouldn't be much of a surprise otherwise... which is why I have her comm badge too." He said proudly before awkwardly sticking his giant hand out towards Natacha. "I'm S'hib by the way... you must be the woman that's letting Naxea actually get some sleep."

Natacha had assumed a parade stance when the security officer turned around. She took the proffered hand briefly before resuming her stance. "Captain Natacha Patani, the Colonel's Executive Officer. A pleasure to meet you, Commander. And with respect, we do have standing orders about non-Marines coming unescorted into restricted sections on this deck, which includes the Colonel's office. As to the taking of the Colonel's combadge, Commander, regulations aside..." Natacha paused, trying to think of how to phrase the next part diplomatically "...I have known the Colonel only briefly, but she does not strike me as an officer who would appreciate having her combadge purloined."

"Oh, she will have my head if she finds out..." S'hib smiled as he slowly moved back towards the desk, his hooves gently thumping as he pondered over the flowers. "Do you think I should put these here?" he mused, moving his stubby hoofed digits over the flowers with a surprising amount of delicateness.

"I think the best course of action for you, Commander," Natacha began, her words carefully measured, "Is to deliver both the flowers and her combadge to the Colonel directly." Natacha paused before adding. "Were I in the Colonel's position, I would appreciate the spontaneous gesture of the flowers, while the return of my combadge means you recognize that spontaneity is not desirable in every situation."

"Going to have to disagree with you on that..." He snorted as he adjusted the vase, turning it gently in situ before plucking a loose leaf from amongst the flowers. "And stop being so formal," S'hib added, popping the leaf in his mouth while waving a hand at her as he continued. "just relax... stand at, whatever."

"Commander," Natacha began, hard steel forming in her words. "By nature, I am not a sentimental individual. But I recognize that other beings are, and so I try to make allowances for that. However, my duty does not allow for me not to be able to contact my superior officer in an emergency. In addition, the Colonel is a member of this ship's command staff, and must be reachable by the Captain. I have been attempting to diplomatically steer you to recognize these facts. Now I must ask you to immediately return the Colonel her combadge. In the meantime, I am going to have the computer locate the Colonel and advise her that you are in possession of her combadge. In addition, I am going to ask you to leave her office."

"She is in our quarters, asleep..." S'hib replied, his docile demeanour changing almost instantly at the sudden combativeness, replacing his playful tone with one that matched her steel and then some. "Something that rarely happens given what she has been through." He added as he raised from his hunched position over the desk, pointed ears almost touching the ceiling as they fixated on her.

"So if you wake her, Captain" S'hib continued as he circled around the desk and took a couple of heavy steps towards Natacha. "to satisfy your need to follow regulations, then you and I are going to fall out... which I don't want to happen."

The darker skinned Marine didn't waiver either in stance or tone as she made her reply. "There are regulations and there are orders, Commander. Regulations I can let slide. But I have standing orders from my commanding officer to contact her if things go south. And I have standing orders to let her know if I can't follow those orders. And not only do you not have the authority to countermand those orders, Commander, but to put it bluntly, I find it highly insulting that you think you have the right to second guess her decisions when it comes to this detachment. I don't know her as well as you do, but I know she's a hard charging Marine, and I'm not going to treat her as anything different."

"And I would rather not have a falling out with you either, Commander," Natacha added, "But I'm not worried about it. However, I would appreciate it if you returned to your quarters with the Colonel's combadge."

"Red sands... I'm not second-guessing her, Captain... she left this department in your hands, hands which she believes to be capable enough to let her relax and sleep... something I am truly thankful for, believe me, it's also the reason why I feel comfortable enough that in the event of an emergency, you won't need to call her..." He snorted in frustration, flashing Naxea's comm badge before pocketing once more.

"Now," He said breathing in deep as his tail flicked irritatedly behind him. "We can continue to stand here and butt heads, or you can move out of the doorway... please."

Natacha gave a curt nod and stepped to one side. "Commander," she began, an uncharacteristic softness to her tone. "I'm a Marine. I can't explain to you what that means. It's an existential experience."

"The Colonel is a Marine," Natacha continued. "She knows my record. She knows I'm not going to interrupt her downtime over something stupid. But this is her detachment. My job is to have these Marines ready when she needs them. What you're asking..." Natacha shook her head. "Your intentions are good, Commander, but I can't do that to the Colonel. She's a Marine, same as me. If this were my detachment, I'd want that call. So I know she'd want it too. I don't pretend to know what your relationship is like with the Colonel, Commander, but you can't take being a Marine away from her."

"I'm not stupid enough to think I could..." He said in a far more neutral tone as he ducked under the door frame. "But you marines are very hard-headed, and sometimes you need to be told no..." S'hib added as he turned and started clicking away before stopping and glancing back.

"Though... do me a favour, Captain... make sure you change the water in a couple of days... I'd do it myself, but regulations and all that." He teased, crossing his wrists and lifting his arms up briefly before turning back and walking away.

"We're marines because we don't accept no," Natacha said as the Sequus departed Marine Country. As she turned to the bouquet, she shook her head. "And he definitely has no sense of aesthetics. Computer, assuming zed with a base of nu plus a sequence of one increasing to a number approaching infinity, on an arrangement of flowers of Bajoran and Sequusian origin, with said arrangement being defined as zed as a function from zero to a number approaching infinity in a Wisherden set, suggest additional flora for zed base three, zed base seven, and seven base sixteen."

"Edosian orchids," the computer replied.

"Thought so," Natacha agreed. "Computer, reproduce three Edosian orchids, non-poisonous, Ludisia variety. Oh, and fifty milligrams of powdered aspirin. Make that Bajoran equivalent," Natacha quickly added, remembering the effects human aspirin would have on the flora.

As soon as the computer produced the requested material, Natacha added the Bajoran aspirin to the floral arrangement, then accented it with the Edosian orchids.