Meeting the XO
Posted on Thu Aug 12th, 2021 @ 1:26pm by Lieutenant JG Lialla Troga & Commander Thorrin
Edited on on Thu Aug 12th, 2021 @ 6:44pm
2,920 words; about a 15 minute read
Mission:
[Shanghai]S1E9 Return of Bervag Bers
Location: XO's Office
Timeline: Current
[ON]
Lialla had just gotten done talking with the Captain, having found him a pleasant chap. The next on her list would be the XO, a Commander Thorrin. Tapping on her commbadge, Lialla sent out a call.
"Commander Thorrin, this is Lieutenant Troga what is your location? I've just arrived and would like to meet with you." she waited for his answer.
Thorrin was in his office alone and with some time off or so he thought. He had been looking forward to doing some work on the timeline, his life's work. The call over the comm caused him to roll his eyes in frustration as he tapped his comm badge. His face was awash in annoyance however, his New Orleans accented voice betrayed no sign of it. "I am in my office Lieutenant. Feel free to stop by Thorrin out." Two things crossed his mind in the moment. The first was who the hell was this Lieutenant, and the second was did she not know how to use the ship's computer to locate someone.
The door swished open and Lialla stepped in, the silken, bright yellow cloth of her outfit, gracefully swirled about her legs then settled down when she stopped moving.
"Hello, I'm the new counselor for the USS Shanghai and therefore I am reporting in. Do you mind if I take a seat? Normally I would ask the computer where a person was, but I wished to be more direct. I'm sure you can understand my thoughts on this one." giving a pleasant smile, all the while getting the measure of the man behind the desk. She was full betazed, but not sending any feelers out to test his mental defenses nor touching his feelings as it were.
Thorrin put on his most diplomatic smile. "Please have a seat..." he said and pointed to a chair. "...Would you like a glass of Calvados Counselor?" Thorrin poured himself a glass and waited for the answer before he poured one for her. One did not become an XO without being prepared. As such Thorrin had made sure to go over the crew manifest and knew that the Counselor was a Betazoid. Centuries of practice and training kicked in as he steeled his mind against being deciphered by the woman.
"Yes please." she responded, giving an answering smile, then looked about his office, seeing if he had spartan taste in furnishings. If it was cookie cutter style, as in just something a normal XO's office would contain. She had heard that XO's tended to add personal touches to their office. She was curious as to if he did the same. She turned her attention back to him.
She accepted the glass of wine from him. "Is this a normal occurrence to offer wine, when meeting someone for the first time? " she took in its bouquet, swirling the wine to get its aroma, before taking a sip of it. "This is good, thank you." she had a bit of a wide eyed innocence about her. Her records would show that this was her first assignment.
"It is typical where I am from. That is to say New Orleans. Wine accompanies everything, in particular good company." He noticed the way she had looked about the room and laughed internally. He had confounded her with the lack of personalization. Thorrin rather enjoyed people not knowing too much about him. "So tell me Lieutenant. How do you like the Shanghai thus far."
"Well so far, between the captain's office, the bridge, and now your office. I am liking it so far. I've not gone to go see my office yet." giving a light laugh. "You know, I do like your office, its rather serene and uncluttered." she glanced around the office once more. "You most certainly do not have anything that sends off vibes that would make a person nervous. I heard of one such XO who had a penchant for historic weapons, and had one that had been handed down. A pistol of some sort. He'd put it on the desk especially when the counselor would come in, their first initial meeting, with the barrel pointed at said counselor. I was horrified in hearing of that tale." taking a sip to calm herself down.
"mmmm Yes people can be a bit put off by a Counselor. One is definitely not fond of having one's mind probed. Both literally and figuratively. My door is always open to any member of the crew should they need it. After all who councils the Counselor." Thorrin said with a smirk and then sipped his wine.
"That is true, who does counsel a counselor." taking a look at the XO. "It sounds like you are willing to play counselor if I need it. That is a good thing to know. Any sage advice you can give to me on what to look out for, since this is my first ship experience?" Nialla asked.
"It is my understanding that most counseling experiences are one on one. However, aboard a ship do not forget that everyone is going through the same events at the same time. These events can effect people differently. Very often you may find yourself having to counsel the whole crew at once, and that can be a daunting task..." Thorrin paused to allow his words to sink in as it were. "As to the spartan office, that is because I prefer to keep that which means anything to me in my quarters. Home is where the heart is, besides how much time does an XO actually spend in their office." He smiled.
"I think it is all dependent on the XO, I suppose. There maybe those who live in the office not wanting to go to their lonely quarters. Other times, there are those who balance things out. I am certainly hoping that I will be able to be a listening ear for those who wish to talk. I am willing to walk about the ship as well, and not just sit in my office waiting for people to come to me." taking another sip of her wine and giving him another perusing look, then she spoke. "If I may ask, what race are you?" for the most part he looked human but didn't share the normal inconsequential details that one could pick up from a human. "Your eyes, they have that expression in them as if you've seen a lot." Lialla remarked.
Thorrin turned toward her and was shocked that she had not known his race. "A good XO spends their time on the bridge or on an away mission..." He laughed and took a sip of his wine. "As for my race, I am one of a few left in the galaxy, one of the listeners, I am El Aurian." He said as his black eyes, the only physical feature that would betray his race, bore into her.
"Oh I didn't know that. I hadn't looked at your file, and your eyes reminded me of mine." rising up from the chair and walked over towards the desk to get a better look into his eyes. "I've never met an El Aurian before. You are the first one I've ever met." Her own eyes curious, "I can imagine the stars you've seen, would they reflect in your eyes? Are memories locked away behind your inscrutable gaze? And even gardens so rare, that one could only dream about or read about in books." Lialla remarked, her voice soft and gentle, filled with wonder.
Thorrin cocked an eyebrow at the Counselor's curiosity. The stars I have seen, try disasters, death, and other horrible wonders. he thought. You didn't spend nearly five hundred years in the galaxy and not learn how to conceal your thoughts both mentally and physically. As such Thorrin did not betray any of his feelings. He smiled "I have seen a lot in my time, perhaps too much, but there is always more to see. In truth you probably have met another of my kind and did not know it. We have a tendency to keep ourselves concealed. Passing ourselves off as human. In fact I have lived on Earth or in the Federation since the 2300s."
"So you are like Methuselah, the man in the Bible who lived for centuries. Many lifetimes, and what he must have seen and..." her eyes widened and she gasped when something occurred to her. Her eyes broke contact, as Lialla turned to go back to her chair. "I am sorry, I hadn't even thought of what you may have seen in your life time so far. I am going on all about stars, gardens, pretty things not even thinking about the ugliness that you may have seen. Forgive me." Her back was still to him, her shoulders drooping slightly. She brought up a hand to her face, feeling awkward and embarrassed. Not feeling like she could face Thorrin for the moment.
Thorrin smiled briefly, one moment it was on his face and the next gone. The smile was in relation to how they always realize the pain and horror that comes with something like immortality. "Listen Counselor it is no problem at all. In fact it is people like you that can keep someone like me going. Every so often we Methuselahs need to be reminded of the good in the galaxy and the reasons to keep fighting for it. There are some of my kind who forgot that, lost their way and became terrible threats to the galaxy."
Lialla turned at his comment. "There are others who are long lived and seek to destroy instead of creating? That is indeed sad to hear. And you seek them out to stop them don't you?" Lialla's demeanor returning close to its normal cheefulness, though there was a dampening of her positive output.
Thorrin thought that if Lialla only knew she would be truly worried. For he did not seek out other El Aurians to stop them, he sought out a human to stop her from destroying the timeline. To hold her compliant to her own laws. "Indeed I do keep my eyes open for those who seek to destroy. The last known being like that was Dr Soran. Thankfully he was put to end by the crew of the Enterprise. Moreover I seek to learn what turns them down this path. For it is in learning that, which we can use to make sure that we do not go down that path." He added sagely.
"Boredom, loss of a loved one? The fact of living longer than friends and perhaps family, being of a shorter lifespan, they fade away. And nothing left except for memories." Lialla shakes her head as if to clear away the dark webs that seemed to want to wrap her and Thorrin in its stickiness. "Okay that is enough dark thoughts" she said quietly, to herself and in some aspect to Thorrin. "I do know that there are a great many dark times out there but, need to also think of the sunshine." The corners of her mouth lifting, Lialla turning on her brilliant smile. "I may seem silly but I am of the mindset to go to battle against the darkness."
"Battle the darkness is something that I believe most would want to do. As to your comment about family I am going to disagree with you. I have had many wives, and even more children over the years. I believe I am even a great great great great grandfather. So I have a pretty extensive family. I admit I do not speak to all of my descendants. However, I do keep tabs on my children." Thorrin's tone turned jovial and he chuckled when he spoke.
Lialla smiled at the change of his tone. "I stand corrected. It appears I need some more education, and if you don't mind I'd like to learn more about your people. And I like the idea that you keep tabs on your children. Family connections are good as long as they are good ones. The others.. Not so much." giving a small shrug.
"Even though I keep tabs on my children it is not all sunshine and rainbows. A lot of my children want nothing to do with me. You see because there simply is not many El Aurians out there we often mate with other species. I have Cardassian, Klingon, Human, and Vulcan children as just a few. These hybrid people very often are outcasts among their people, as they are longer lived or have other El Aurian traits. So they grow to resent or hate me." Thorrin sighed heavily. "What would you like to know?"
"Oh dear that isn't good. Makes for a lonely existence for you." she muses. upon this for a moment then asked. "Are you able to find other El Aurians to help build up your people or is there a love, hate relationship there."
"Since the diaspora we rarely seek each other out. If I happen upon another El Aurian there is not open hostility however, I am not actively looking for them either. It seems at least for now and the foreseeable future my people are content roaming the galaxy. Although there are some who wish to recreate the homeworld." Thorrin replied and sipped his drink.
"Do you have images of your home world? Are there records of it?" Lialla seriously wanting to know. "Was it beautiful? Was it lush and green or was it looking like a desert, still having its own beauty? Or was it mountainous?" then took a sip of her wine.
"It was similar to Earth in most ways but if I say so myself prettier. The mountains that overlooked the great seas was especially beautiful. However, all of that ended when the Borg came. Unfortunately there are not many visual records of El Aura. At least none that we are aware of. Perhaps one day when we are sick of roaming the galaxy listening we will band together and settle on a planet. But for now such is life..." Thorrin replied wistfully.
Lialla nodded, "That sounds like it would be wonderful. However with the Borg being out there, the El-Aurian will be out there wandering about . Perhaps that is the reason why that hasn't happened yet." It was just a musing moment from Lialla, catching the wistfulness that he had allowed to show.
"it is sad that many have suffered tragedies like that. losing home, losing a planet." Lialla finished up her drink.
"I agree..." Thorrin began and then sipped his drink as he contemplated if he really wanted to say what he was thinking next. "No one would have had to suffer if it wasn't for those blundering gods the Q." He blurted out with a small amount of anger in his voice.
"The Q, the ones who decided to have the Enterprise meet the Borg?" Lialla remarked, with a frown. "They brought all this upon us? Any idea why they did that?"
"Not sure... But the Q have been playing with other species and the Borg for millennia. They sent the Borg to El Auria centuries before they introduced the Enterprise to the Borg." Thorrin said drably and then sipped his drink in an effort to steady his nerves.
"Well, I certainly don't like that fact of someone having their fun moments with other species." giving a bit of an unladylike snort. "Makes things real difficult, for those trying to get through life." drinking the last bit of her wine.
"Quite so..." Thorrin gave his most genial smile as he finished up his wine. He wanted to Counselor to leave and let him get back to his work. However, he did not want to seem ill mannered. "Well if there is nothing else my dear Counselor."
Lialla was picking up the hint, she smiled. "Ahh.. it looks like our conversation is at an end. However don't forget, I can be a good listening ear if you choose to talk to me about, concerns of yours, well concerns that I am allowed to hear, as I am sure there are things that I do not have clearance for. However, there is also times when you just need a listening ear." rising up from her seat and walking over towards the desk, placing her glass on it. "I also will not say the normal words, you can trust me. I mean you can but, it is difficult for someone to allow themselves to be vulnerable with someone else, especially when we've just met."
Thorrin smiled apathetically. "Rest assured Counselor that should I have need of your services I will avail myself to them." He poured the honeyed accent on think for emphasis and ended his statement with raise of his glass in toast. Thorrin swallowed the rest of his wine and smiled.
Lialla tilted her head, "Whenever we speak once more? Perhaps in a more relaxed setting and not in an official capacity?" giving a bit of a smile towards Thorrin. "For now, I'll say have a pleasant day." and then left the XO's office.
As the doors closed the smile left Thorrin's face, the genial manner in which he had conducted himself was laid to rest again. What the Counselor did not know was that they would not be speaking much, that is unless it was official business.
[OFF]
Lieutenant JG Lialla Troga
Counselor, USS Shanghai
Commander Thorrin
XO USS Shanghai
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