Ports & Storms

Posted on 08 Aug 2023 @ 7:06pm by Commander Elleese Elloyia & Lieutenant Callisi Veera

2,953 words; about a 15 minute read

By this point, Elleese had made it into the ship's lounge as part of her ongoing self-guided tour of the ship that would--if patterns held--be her home for the next few years. She had started reading through personnel files and had made it through the senior staff, which was how she recognized the chief of operations. Of course, Lieutenant Veera was not exactly easy to miss, all things considered. When Ell spotted her sitting alone at a table, she determined this was as good a time as any to meet.

The commander walked over and smiled politely. "Lieutenant Veera?"

The resident rabbitess looked out the view port, watching the stars as they streaked away. Coming closer, shining with a prism of color, then streaking off on their way. Of course, it wasn't the stars moving but rather them, but there was something about how the Federation did it. The view, the spectacular view. It was a shame she could only enjoy half of it. A sip of coffee, a memory creeping in. A moment of...

Her lengthy ears twitched, and perked. Her name.

"Yes." she turned, and regarded Elleese for a moment. Long ears, eyepatch, coffee. This was certainly the Lieutenant. "To whom do I have the pleasure, Commander?" Veera's casual approach to the conversation instantly shifted once she saw the pips. As casual as the Odin was, rank was rank and protocol demanded certain procedures.

"Elleese Elloyia," she introduced herself with an easy smile that touched her silver eyes with sincerity. "I have just come aboard as the ship's counselor and have been acquainting myself with the ship and crew. I am hoping to meet all of the senior staff sooner than later, so I hoped to avail myself of the opportunity and introduce myself." She inclined her head slightly.

"It's an excellent opportunity indeed, please." Callisi motioned to the chair opposite her at the small table. "I appreciate the introduction. Having a counselor on the ship will be a welcome feeling. Every ship of a significant size back home in the Navy had a counselor to help cope with just the rigors and stresses of long travels. Having one on board will be a welcome return to norm." the cyclopean rabbitess offered, returning the slight incline with a nod all her own.

Elleese smiled again and nodded. She knew there had been some issues where the last counselor had stepped back in role and Starfleet hadn't hurried to bring a new one on board, mainly because there was a slight dearth of them among this convoy so getting new people was not as easy here as elsewhere. Once she had gotten a replacement trained on her last post, though, they thought her longtime experience would be useful on this ship.

"Counselors are not always greeted so warmly," Ell said, though there was no rancor in her eyes about that. "You are the chief of operations aboard, yes? I am afraid that I have not met any Ts'usugi before, so you may need to help me on the way."

Callisi looked up, not in dismay or hurt, not in anger and disdain, just looked up at Elleese. One eye, pristine. Untouched. Unblemished. The other beneath an eye patch, a scar running along her top brow, seemingly through the eye itself, and then down along her cheek. There was a faint blue dot, a light, under the dark eye patch. It followed wherever Callisi looked, in a mockery of the living. A prosthetic eye...

"You're not the first I've met. I prefer to greet those who are here to help, rather then make them only see me in a hostile light." the rabbitess explained. "And yes, I am the operations chief. Let me know if you need the assistance of my department." she paused, and took a sip from a novelty mug. Shaped to resemble a carrot. Seems her department had a sense of humor.

"In the ancient times of Ts'usu, great contests and wars were decided with information and trickery, getting more out of a question then you gave up with an answer. They say that the great riddle masters of Ts'usu could glean your entire life from how you asked for a bowl of rice." she shook her head, "I'm not good at riddles."

"Tradition says you get three questions. It ensures that inquisitiveness is tempered rather than just being blind curiosity. It also makes you consider each question. Is this worth asking..." she paused, "I won't limit you, that would be rude. But, I would ask that any question you ask me be given that consideration. It makes the conversation more interesting, more fun." she said with a soft smile.

"I'll save you one. Ts'usu is off limits. We're not allowed to talk about our home. I can tell you I love it, and that I miss it. I can't tell you of the luxurious purple skies around it." she shook her head. "Home is sacred. Home is secret. So we can't discuss it."

Interesting, Elleese reflected to herself as she listened to the multi-part reply and explanation. "I understand and will respect that," she said, inclining her head slightly. "My questions will tend to be more...response than curiosity. I ask to understand at the times that understanding is needed." Everything about her voice and expression were calm and measured. It was second nature to her now, since her training long ago. "It will take me some time, I imagine, to learn and understand the ship and its crew. The history I have so far read is...colorful."

"I'm familiar with how counselors operate. React and respond, inspect and discover." Callisi opted. "And, to put your concern at ease about discovery... I've been on this ship through a lot of it, and even I have difficulty understanding it. The history of this ship is indeed, varied and colorful."

"I know some may not enjoy serving aboard a ship that is quite so interesting as this one," Ell commented with a light smile. To know the ship, know the crew. To know the crew, know the ship. It was always a balancing act, but it was as much professional interest and her own desire--as a new member of this crew--to understand it. "How about yourself? Do you enjoy a...varied post such as this?"

"Varied is a key term." Callisi offered, "Back home in the navy it's mostly just us. Rarely would we have a Dalacari on board, and even then only for drone maintenance." a pause, remembering something. Then shaking her head to forget it. "Sorry, just, remembering. I find the notion of such a diverse crew almost distracting, but at the same time, like my instructor taught me, 'Any machine where all the parts are the same is asking for failure'."

Elleese nodded once, thoughtfully. She considered it for a moment and then chose which point she wanted to follow up on first. "May I ask what a Dalacari is?"

Callisi gave a nod, "You may." she paused, with an amused smirk. "They're a race of people, highly intelligent and insatiably curious. They're, oh how do they put it, they're binary instance life. That means that one complete Dalacari is composed of two bodies. They're... they're unique. Sure, I've heard that there are races similar, but I've never encountered anything like them."

"They're native to what the Federation calls the Delta Quadrant, similar to my people. So the odds of seeing a Dalacari are going to be slim."

"I can see how it would be," she agreed. "They do remind me of the Bynars, but I have not had occasion to meet such a pair myself; I have only read about them."

"I've read about the Bynars, because I keep hearing the reference. I wouldn't bring them up in front of any Dalacari you meet." Callisi shook her head. "They'd probably break out into tears and want to go hug one. If they heard the amount of mutilation and personal intrusion that the Bynar go through for what comes to them naturally. Oh it'd break their hearts."

Ell considered this for a moment. "They sound like a...highly sensitive race," she said. It was partly a question and partly an observation.

"I imagine it comes with having to look at yourself everyday no matter where you look." the rabbitess offered. "We test our conviction by asking if we can look at ourselves in the mirror, but if you never look in the mirror, that's never an issue. They're easily one of the most compassionate people I've ever had the chance to know. I hope one day you can meet them."

"Though..." she looked up at Ellese slightly, "... it was one of their medical drones that patched me up, so my opinion of their technology is a bit biased."

"That is a very...close encounter with them, one would say," Ell agreed. "In what ways do you feel like it has biased you toward that technology, though?" To many, it might have seemed like asking the obvious. Elleese was one who knew better, though.

"It gave me back my sight, but it hurts to look at. It hurts to see what I've become." the rabbitess shook her head. "A replacement would be shameful. A prosthetic even more. This, at least, has the stigma of an injury at war, but no matter how it's viewed the result is the same. A broken soldier." she paused. Her tone wasn't shameful, or looking to invite Ell to a pity party. She was stating facts. Hurtful facts about the life she experienced after.

"The drone did what it was programmed to do, arrived at the conclusion it was designed to. Render aid. My options were simple: Wait it out and get a replacement back on the ship, or go with a mechanical prosthetic and get back in the fight sooner. Get my people home." she took a breath, "I couldn't leave my people behind. I brought them there, I bring them home. That's the oath."

"As for how it's changed me, whether I'm biased... Honestly I don't know. It's probably had an effect, but I've always been critical of drones. Always felt that they were impersonal. Distant. If you're going to war, have the decency to do it in person." she offered. "I understand WHY, but I don't have to agree with it."

A pause, "This is about Kat, isn't it?"

Ell's pale brows knit slightly in an expression of confusion that she allowed out. "Kat?" she repeated quizzically. Her eyes drifted to the side, going through her memory. The name alone was not enough, since "Kat" could be a very common name or nickname on a ship of this size. However, the "drone" references then came together. She was good at what she did, after all. "Do you mean Ensign..." It took a moment to recall the name. "Walker?"

Callisi simply gave a nod at first. "Yes." she confirmed after a moment. Her long ears fell back while her scowl told the story so well that one might not even need any form of empathic prowess.

The counselor nodded thoughtfully, taking in tone and body language. She had, so far into the conversation, resolved to do what research she could into Ts'usugi physiology, though for her--being what she was--it was almost a vacation to be around any species that she couldn't read too easily. "I see," she commented. "Well, I was not referring to her. I have yet to meet Ensign Walker beyond my onboarding brief."

Callisi gave a nod, "She is a ... a member of the crew. The Captain trusts her, so I do too." she declared, "I'd recommend meeting her before passing judgement." she became reserved, guarded, concerned for what she said and now, more so, what she didn't say. The walls were up.

"Apologies. I've ruined the mood of the conversation." she stated after a moment of silence.

"Not at all," Ell said with an affable smile. "I always reserve judgment until I have met someone for myself. It is something of my nature and also a necessity of my profession. As for the mood of the conversation... I came with no preconceived notions of what the mood should be, therefore its mood can move organically." It was clear that there was something of a story about Veera and Walker, but Ell knew she'd hear it in its own time.

She always did.

"How do you feel the members of your department are faring? It sounds like there was a bit of trouble recently, caused some stress, which is already in addition to the ship's particular history. What is your view of your people as their department head?"

"I appreciate your discretion. Thank you." she nodded her head, ears slowly bobbing to a more front curve, relaxed posture. She had the one eye, no shine to it at all, and yet it spoke volumes about her nature. Reserved, closed off, insular, and yet capable of so much. Is that where the scar came from? The eyepatch, and the gentle, soft blue dot of a glow hidden beneath it. A proxy eye taking the place of the one she was born with. "I feel that things are getting back on track. I run the department in a mix of the Federation's traditions and those I was taught in the Navy. Where there's a distinction, I prefer the Navy way. Things are clear cut, things are precise. I give an order, and whoever is responsible for it being a reality repeats it back, to show they heard it and understand it."

"Things back in the Navy were... I don't want to say simpler but they were more precise. I knew exactly what was expected of me. Bring soldiers to the line, and beyond. Bring them back home. Here, things are... there's a chain of command when a crisis occurs but until then things are nebulous. Softer. Did you know, if you have an opinion about a matter you could speak it directly?" such a simple thing in Starfleet, but it spoke how much of a difference there was.

"I know a lot of them went through hell. Myself included. I have to be the rock, though. If they see me buckle, see me fold, then the whole department folds." she spoke quieter. Softer. These were reserved feelings. "I ... I feel that my department respects me, despite the fact that I nearly resemble some childish holiday figure. I feel that I have their conviction and their trust. I am their department head. I am the Ma... the Chief of Operations." she had another word in mind, but shifted. Cultural, perhaps.

"I'm a Daughter of Ts'usu." there was her conviction. "I represent my parents, my neighbors, and my kin with every act I do. Even if this ship never meets another Ts'usugi vessel, never sees Ts'usugi space, never ventures halfway there, everyone on this ship will know my people, my home, my soul." that was a lot of responsibility, but she seemed to welcome that bit.

The Betazoid woman took in the other woman's response, turning it over and reflecting on it in her mind for several moments before she chose to respond. "That is a very admirable standard to uphold," she said with sincerity. Mind, some details did not escape her, but she'd wait a little before mentioning them. "Although I imagine it must be a lot, to carry all the time.

"That is where my office will be open to you, of course. I understand that you must remain strong for your department. The captain and first officer have the same standard for the ship, and each department head for those they lead, but I am here for those other moments. We all need a break sometimes, and we need a place to do it, which is something I can offer that I hope you will become comfortable enough to take advantage of."

Callisi gave a nod. To what... was initially hard to say.

"I appreciate that." she started, now almost a whisper as she turned her head slightly. What had she endured that caused such an admission to need such a soft tone? Why would she turn her head.... except to hide the eye. "We have officers on the ships back home, to deal with the rigors of stellar travel." she offered another glimpse. Another parallel.

"Would we be able to just..... talk?" she inquired, looking back up, eyes front.

Eye.

"Of course," Ell said with the ease and swiftness of a sincere answer. "I see myself as something of..." She paused, considering her word choices for a moment. "...a port, you might say. I do what is necessary for those who come to me, and those needs differ between each person. If you would like to just talk, even just as we are now, then I am happy to do so."

Ellese's sincerity was felt by Callisi, who simply gave a nod in response to it. "I know the old Terran expression is Any Port in a Storm. If you're the Port, is Life the Storm?" she asked, but it was more of a rhetorical question. "I appreciate the invite. If Operations can do anything for you, you have but to ask."

With a smile, Ell inclined her head politely. "Thank you," she said. She paused for a moment then waved at the table. "Well, I shall not intrude on you any longer. I simply wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and start getting to know you." She got to her feet. "I wish you a good day, Lieutenant."

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