Setting up Shop

Posted on Tue Jan 28th, 2025 @ 1:01pm by Commander T'Zara & Lieutenant Commander Ayanja Tusalo

1,216 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Project EDEN
Location: Science Labs USS Valiant

Aya's eyes rapidly scanned the rather roomy space before her. Having just left her new office the Commander had started a self-guided tour of the General Sciences facilities aboard ship. While not as specialized, and sophisticated as those aboard Sagan she couldn't help but be impressed. Quite a bit more modular than Sagan, Valiant could be modified for a wider variety of mission types, What they'd be doing Aya was admittedly unsure of. After all what's was this Project EDEN, was it true science or just another vanity project by someone taking advantage of a desperate Fleet? It was hard not to think about all those they'd lost wand how many were filling shoes for those who weren't around any longer.

It had made finding personnel to fill out the Department. Sure she wasn't going to have the staff of a purpose built science vessels but it shouldn't have been this hard.

That's why she's abandoned her office. Aya couldn't bring herself to review another personnel file of someone half her age who wanted to be a Asst Department or even Division Head. Not that there was much choice. She needed a staff and like it or not she was a Senior Member of the Fleet.

T'Zara frowned when she had gone looking for the new Chief of Science and discovered that she wasn't in her office. A quick query to the computer led her to the Science labs and located the Betazoid Lieutenant Commander.

"Excuse me, Commander," she said. "I am looking for Lieutenant Commander Tusalo." A waft of cold air rose from her collar as it measured the temperature in the air and responded to cool her down.

"That's me... Ma'am." Aya said spying the three solid pips on the blue woman's collar. "Commander T'zara I'm guessing?" Reaching out her hand to shake she actually wasn't sure if that was something in the Commander's culture. Aya had gotten used to it after so many years in Starfleet, not to mention Javi's family they could be so proper sometimes.

T'Zara accepted her hand for a brief shake, having learned that custom in the Academy, even though she disliked the body temperature of most humanoids and animals alike. "That would be me," she said with a brief smile after she released the other woman's hand. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

"Absolutely, I was just coming down and trying to get the labs in order, they're quite spread out." Aya shivered a bit at the cool touch of the Commander's hand, and the cool radiating from her suit. Like most Betazoids Aya was very sensitive to the cold growing up in the warm temperate region of Betazed especially. "Anything in particular you wanted to chat about Commander?"

"A few things, actually," T'Zara said as she took a step back to avoid giving the other woman a chill and to give her own hand time to cool down again. "Do you wish to talk here or go to your office?"

"We can head to my office, I know that there's a maintenance crew due to service the labs in a bit and I want them to get things done rather than work around us all awkwardly." Aya offered starting to turn to head out into the corridor. "So I saw that you were also in the Sciences before making the jump to Command? What made you make the switch?"

The blue skinned XO headed after her, a bit surprised by the leading question when she had planned to ask the new Science office much the same thing. "Probably for the same reason you switched from Security to Science," she said. "I felt I could do more from Command than I was doing in Science. I still have a deep love for Science, though."

"That's good to know, I don't know if I'd say I could do more in the Sciences than Security, I was damn good at it if I do say so myself." Aya grinned, somewhat in jest, but also with a fair amount of pride. She knew she had been a good Security officer, but the reasons for that came from an unhealthy part of her life. A part of her life she wanted to put behind her for her new one. "But I've always had the interest and deciding to stay in the Fleet it felt like the right move to follow my passions rather than just my skills."

"That an an excellent reason and you have an excellent record," T'Zara said. "Do you have any regrets about your time in Starfleet?"

Aya raised her eyebrow at the younger woman, not exactly the kind of question she was used to getting these days. "I've been in the fleet for going on thirty years, of course I have regrets. You'd be hard pressed to find a single officer who hasn't. But no not my time. If I did, I wouldn't still be here."

"I hope you don't think that I'm being invasive or intrusive," T'Zara said with a friendly but worried look. "I'm the first of my people to join Starfleet and I find it interesting to learn why some officers have stayed for incredibly long periods of time."

"I don't know if I'd call my time incredibly long, at least not for a Betazoid, our species have more than an average lifespan. I'm still relatively young, my Mother is still head of our House." Aya's expression softened somewhat, she understood where the command was coming from. Moments like these were always a chance to remind herself that not everyone was an empath. "You don't find many officers in the Fleet who don't end up staying for a lifetime. Many join with the dream of the center chair, it's really only after... Well after things, moments like Frontier Day that you'll see more people leave."

"My people are long lived, too," T'Zara said. "I do not yet know what I am searching for, but that is why I am here."

"I hope you find it." Aya said with a slightly raised eyebrow. Usually those who'd chosen starship command were those who'd chosen their path in life. Either they were heading for that center chair, or to the Admiralty. Admittedly Aya had thought about that herself, what if she wanted to go that route, set herself up for command. But that was a long way off at this point, she now had more important considerations than just her career.

"Do you have any questions for me?" T'Zara asked.

"Not really ma'am. I'm still finding the lay of the land and getting myself setup here. I'm sure I will in time." Really Aya wanted to find more of her footing first, the Valiant was so different from Sagan or Venture she wasnt quite sure what to expect yet. This was new, she was new, hopefully it didn't show too much but for the first time since becoming a Science Chief Aya felt a bit out of sorts.

"Then I'll let you get back to it," T'Zara said. "If you have any needs, my door is open."

"I appreciate that Commander, mine is as well."

"Then I bid you welcome aboard and will let you continue setting up shop," T'Zara said with a smile and headed out.

 

RSS Feed