A cat comes knocking

Posted on Thu Jan 23rd, 2020 @ 8:59am by Lieutenant M'Tuuri Sh'iss [S'hib] & Captain Gary Taylor

Mission: Casperia Prime - A lesson in relaxation
Location: Executive Officers Office
1535 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Now back aboard the Elysium M'Tuuri had decided it would be best to start making more of an appearance, but not before placing her monstrous trophies safely wrapped and tucked away in her fridge, hidden amongst fish and other less taboo items for later.

She hadn't quite decided how to prepare her dinner, it was, after all, something that had to be taken with the utmost care. Nothing could be wasted, everything had to be perfect.

But for now, she had to do her best to blend in... hide in plain sight she thought as her clawed digit pressed the chime on a door.

Gary was day dreaming, well not exactly. He was actually thinking of his and Lia's wedding. it seemed too good to be true. He had the holograms all in sync and ready to go. Now he/they just needed to tell the Captain and then.....his chine rang and ended that train of thought. "Enter." He commanded and awaited to see who entered.

As the door opened M'Tuuri puffed out her chest and walked inside, placing her freshly cleaned and now fluffy hands behind her back just above her tail. "Hello, commander." She nodded with a delicate purr, walking inside his office "I'm lieutenant junior grade M'Tuuri Sh'iss, I'm purrt of your new CDI Depurrtment." She added, her left hand moving from behind her back and towards Gary.

"Lieutenant." Gary greeted, "Yes, I had heard we were getting some new crew members. Welcome to the Elysium. I hope your getting settled in and finding everything to your liking." As he extended his left hand to meet hers.

M'Tuuri gripped the extended hand with a toothy grin, lightly resting her claws on his skin, not enough to cause harm or discomfort, but just enough so that he would know they were there. "Yes everything has been rather purrleasant so far," She remarked, gently moving her hand back behind her back.

"Though, I was expecting my department head to be a woman..." M'Tuuri added curiously, her narrow black slits staring into his eyes with a renewed ferocity from her earlier activities.

"Good. Glad to hear it." Gary answered, "Please have a seat." As he sat his eyes never left her. "Really? Why?" He asked. "Lt. Thornhill is a qualified department head."

"Oh, I don't doubt his abilities, sssir." M'Tuuri purred as she sat down, slowly blinking and casting her gaze idly around his office.

"But purrior to my assignment, I had been informed a certain Commander Holmes would be my depurrtment head..." She purred, her wide eyes snapping back onto his in a single blink before reverting back to narrow slits. "I was a little disappointed you see, I'd heard good things about her..." She teased, fully aware of the two being an item.

"Commander Holmes was originally slated to be your department head however as you are aware things change quickly and it was decided that she remain the head of Security/Tactical and yes she is an excellent officer." Gary replied evenly.

"Well, we're all doing the same thing at the end of the day," M'Tuuri replied, her tone subtly dismissive of his comments about Holmes. "Though what that thing is, is something I've been meaning to ask since coming aboard."

"I see." Gary replied his tone not indicating what he thought of her reply. "Ask your question Lieutenant and if I can answer it I will."

“Well, what are we doing commander? why is the Elysium here?” M’Tuuri purred, genuinely curious for once “I only ask because I’ve heard people talking about a Q.” She added, probing the man on the opposite side of the desk, her eyes growing big as she waited for his response.

"You should know better to listen to rumors Lieutenant." Gary answered and moved on to answering her question. "we're here searching for our crew members who have been abducted along with reports of other Federation crews also being abducted."

“Come now commander, listening to rumours is purrt of my job...” She smiled innocently, tilting her head to one side as she examined Gary as though he was merely an object and not a person. “Besides... It’s not a rumour is it sssir.” She growled softly, back peddling the conversation.

Gary eyed M'Tuuri taking stock of the officer in front of him. Then he laughed without humor. "Well Lieutenant, I would say that depends on you. As an experienced Intel agent, I would think you would know the difference between a rumor and an unsubstantiated fact."

M’Tuuri sat there in silence for a short while as a wide grin formed along her sharp teeth. “Ohh I like you...” She growled, slapping her legs with her hands, rubbing over them with her fingers. “You’ve got claws.” She added, enjoying the small mental game between the two of them.

The smallest of smiles graced Gary's features. "Indeed." He acknowledged, "One does what one can with the tools they have available. Besides mine aren't as visible as yours."

“As sssharp as these are,” M’Tuuri hissed, flashing her right paw in front of her face, admiring her fully extended claws. “It’s better to have a sharp mind... wouldn’t you agree commander?”

Gary nodded his head fractionally, "Yes, It would M'Tuuri. A sharp mind is the best defense against those who would wish to trip you up. Be they friend or foe."

"Speaking from experience I take it..." She replied thoughtfully, leaning back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest.

"One learns life's lessons best through experience. Wouldn't you agree?" He countered.

"To a certain extent... after all, I've seen plenty of people die... And I doubt I'd be any more knowledgable on the subject had it happened to me." She grinned, knowing full well how facetious she was being.

Gary didn't crack a smile. he sat there looking at M'Turri for several seconds before he did speak. "Perhaps but you could have observed how they died. With grace, with a scream or an angry shout or even a joke. One can learn much if one looks." He answered.

"Sssadly that wasn't a luxury I had during my previous assignments," M'Tuuri lied, her mind floating back to events back on Casperia, having been only a few hours since shed watched a Romulan writhe in a pool of his own blood, savouring every second of it. "If you could call it a luxury that is." She added, her words soft and precise.

"No. Not a luxury but a necessary life lesson. How one faces death is as important as one faces life and can give you valuable insight. However, I'll leave you to your own methods." Gary replied stoically.

"Well, hopefully, that lesson won't come to pass anytime soon considering the crew currently missing," M'Tuuri replied dismissively, however in truth she had taken every word onboard, applying Gary's poetic logic onto the meat that sat in her fridge, perverting the lesson he had given her. "I've been reading a lot of the reports, and not a lot of it is good."

"You have a talent for understatement M'Tuuri." Gary replied. "The reports are alarming to say the least but I'm confident we will find our missing crew members as well those of other Federation crews reported missing."

"I'm sssure we will as well, though I doubt this is a new development on Casperia..." M'Tuuri replied, looking away briefly as though thinking of what to say next. "we ssshould consider the possibility that planetary authorities are being purrsuaded to keep quiet."

Gary nodded, "Like you, I highly doubt that this a new development or that the planetary authorities aren't involved to some degree. All possibilities are being looked into. All that are involved will face Federation prosecution."

"I don't doubt that for a moment commander, just wanted to make sure we are all on the same page." M'Tuuri purred, satisfied that her commanding officers were people of integrity, officers that got things done.

"Rest assured Lieutenant, we are all on the same page." Gary replied forcefully.

"Good." M'Tuuri replied, her wide smile exposing far too many teeth to be polite, her eyes piercing into his.

Gary met her smile head on not flinching at all by her stare, his face a stoic mask. "I am relieved to know that our investigations and handling of such meet with your approval Lieutenant."

M'Tuuri continued to smile at Gary, a twisted fantasy playing across her mind as she gently licked her lips. "Well... If there isn't anything else Commander, I'd like to get back to my duties."

Gary rose from behind his desk, "No, nothing else Lieutenant. My door is always open should you have any other concerns."

"Very well..." She replied, rising in her seat before heading for the door. "llaet'rrh leih." She hissed in Romulan before disappearing out onto the bridge, the cheap jab masked as a polite goodbye putting a sadistic smile on her face.

Gary's face remained a mask as M'Tuuri left, her jab in Romulan ringing in his ears. "Same to you Lieutenant." He muttered and returned to work.

OFF:

Commander Gary Taylor
Executive Officer

Lieutenant JG M'Tuuri Sh'iss
Infiltration Specialist