[USS Juno] Peek A Boo

Posted on Fri Aug 3rd, 2018 @ 5:22am by Crewman Recruit Kerja Aanyo & Captain Xalanth
Edited on on Fri Aug 3rd, 2018 @ 5:22am

1,270 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: [USS Shanghai] S1E2: Encounter in the Abyss
Location: Deck 23
Timeline: 5/14/2394 1900 Hours

Kerja landed on the balls of her feet, her knees not quite touching the ground as she crouched. She knew it was somewhere around here. A viewport that she'd found in the ships schematics. It seemed like a great place to hide, to think, to be away from all of the others.

She'd seen Commander Bers with another woman last night. They were laughing and talking, leaning close to each other. Closer than two people aught to if nothing was going on between them. Kerja knew she was being silly. But he was so handsome and she'd briefly forgotten that she was only fourteen. A sound brought her out her thoughts, she wiped her eyes on her sleeve and whirled around to see who had discovered her. Was she in trouble?

The lizard security chief welled himself around in the shaft as he pulled himself in. He'd noticed the hatch had been left open and given the smell and noise someone was in here. He knew of a few places like this. Hell, he'd used them a few times. Areas of the ship that had no real purpose, but were the ideal locations to hide.

" Someone in here. " He called out " It's lieutenant Xalanth the chief of security. " He said as he noticed who the individual was. The captain's daughter. " Kerja isn't it. Are you okay?" He asked calmly trying to look as lease like a predatory carnivore as he could. Having two girls himself he had his fair share of tears.

"Yes," Kerja said, her voice steady despite the few tears which had leaked out. "Am I not supposed to be here?" Her eyes were a bit wide, she'd never seen . . . . well whatever he was, before.

" Technically no one supposes to be in here, but it looks like you need it. You're looking for the viewport aren't you?" He asked which was quickly confirmed by the girls look. " It one of the ships unkept secrets. Every vessel in the feet has a few places people can hide if they feel lost and confused. Do you want me to show you the way? " The lizard sated with a fatherly tone in his voice.

"Please." Kerja said, picking herself up to follow after him. If she'd met him on anything other than a Starship she might have been quite a bit more frightened. But Starfleet officers didn't eat people, she was pretty sure.

" Right this way." The lizard said as he started crawling through the shaft. It wasn't long before he reached the small viewport in which he turned around to look at the small child.She reminded him off his own children." So my dear why do you feel the need to hide down here?" He inquired with his fatherly tone as he and the young hybrid just look at the light of the stars flying by.

"I just wanted to be alone." Kerja answered him. "There are a lot of eyes on this ship and I don't have my own quarters. Plus I wasn't planning on living on a starship so soon. Wasn't planning on a lot of things that have happened lately," she sighed.

" Life rarely calls on us at a moment of our choosing. You have to learn to jump with it. Well, at least that's what my grandmother use to says. Still, why did you need to hide from the crew eyesight for a while? " The lizard responded again in his fatherly tone.

"Cause I'm new and everyone keeps looking at me." She wasn't going to tell him about Bers. It was none of his business. He wouldn't understand anyway. "I didn't ask to be put here. I only came to live with my father after mom was taken."

" Believe it or not I know how you feel. When i first joined the fleet people wouldn't stop looking at me. They'll stop after a while. I guess they got bored. Though they did start again when me and my mate became a couple. " the reptile responded.

Kerja smiled at this. "Yes, humans are very intrested in romance. If someone is in a romance they want to know the details, if they're just thinking of being in a romance they want to know the details. Humans are nosy." She finally concluded.

" Oh, i know. My mate's friends back at the academy wanted to know every little detail and she just seemed to encourage them. Still, even all their probing was bearable. Love does that to you." The lizard said starting to put together what was bothering the girl.

"Hmm," Kerja responded. "This spot is really out of the way. I love when they do that in starship designs. Create little rooms to fill up space." Kerja had an overactive imagination. Now that her mother had been kidnapped having a hiding place seemed like even more of a good idea.

The dragonian didn't have the heart to tell her the rooms real purpose so stayed silent. " Nice and quite as well. " One of his fingers reached out and pointed at the viewport. " You can't see it, but my homeworld is in that direction. "

"What's your planet like?" Kerja asked, looking in that direction as if she could somehow make out the little dot that was his planet in this huge
universe.

"Beautifully chaotic." The lizard tone changed as he remembered his home. " The two suns scorch the surface into a blazing furnace where all life is tested. My family lives on are clans crawler moving from water source to water source as we hunt the planets massive creatures for food."

"Huh, sounds . . . . hard." She answered honestly. "Bajor is pretty beautiful. Some parts of it are dry and hot others lush and green. I don't know if I really consider it home though. I did like it there for the most part. Except the Vedeks. "

" It is, but it's still home. I remember the one time i encountered a vedek. Very annoying woman. At least the priests back home keep themselves to themselves down in the southern desert. "

"I know they mean well mostly but they liked to follow me around. Didn't trust me you see. I can't help it that they keep a garden just for the prophets and it's the most beautiful one on the planet. What do the prophets need a garden for?"

" No idea. Never been religious myself. All i know is that if the tales of the great ancestor are true they do truly like me for helping me find my soul mate and giving us two daughters." Xalanth replied.

"That's true, you are a lucky . . . umm man." This brought the subject of Bers right back in her mind. "Do you mind If I stay here for a while?"

"If you want to. Just make sure you close the hatch when you leave. " The lizard said as he began to leave before pausing. "Word of advice kid. Don't be too quick to jump to conclusions. If you want to take your mind off him I'm going to start a martial arts class in a few days. Feel free to come along."

Kerja thought about this for a moment. "Thanks!" She called after him. Perhaps that was a good idea. She was alone . . . her father was on the ship but they had only known each other a couple of days. She might need the skills that Xalantth could teach her. She looked out at the view for another minute before making up her mind. She would do it. It would help. Kerja left, shutting the hatch behind her and hurried back to her shared quarters.

 

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