Cmdr. Brek - Detour (Oori, Shiarrael)

[spiral.arm1]

((USS Columbia – Captain's Ready Room))

::Brek had just placed his painting on his wall, and, with a hammer in his hands, he was admiring his new chef d'oeuvre. The computer chose that moment to announce the reception of a priority one message, and Tatash's voice immediately filled the room. As goodbyes were said to all the senior staff, the hammer slipped from his hands and hit his left foot.::

Brek: Argh! FrinX. That hurt! Computer freeze message! ::He hobbled to his desk and sat in his chair.:: Computer, replay Lt. Tatash's message from the beginning.

::Tatash's words played again, and Brek listened to them all, carefully. Those words were very good. So much so that, as he listened to them, he began to miss the young reptile tremendously. Sadly, along with a life of adventure, the Fleet also offered many moments where friends often went their separate ways.::

::Brek pondered on that for a while. Him who, before joining the Fleet, had no idea what a friend was. Things had changed a lot since then of course. But these days, he was inclined to think that having friends, and losing them, was a rather painful affair. The funny thing, though, was that life was absolutely atrocious without those friendships, no matter how transient they were. He checked the Avandar's manifest, hit the respond key and then he spoke up.::

Brek: It has been an honor serving with you, Lt. Tatash. On two occasions you protected my life on Avronis, and I'll never forget your courage and determination. I dare say that you imparted a little portion of those qualities to me, allowing me to become a better Ferengi. I wish you all the very best on the Avandar, and I look forward to reading about your exploits on the FNS network.

::With those words said Brek's mind went back to Avronis and that fateful moment where the Tal Shiar had fired on them. The most frightening few minutes of his life... And so, when his combadge chirped, he jumped.::

Golen: =/\= Transporter Room 1 to Commander Brek. Just wanted to give you a heads up, but there is a Romulan Republic officer that just came aboard and she's headed your way. Her orders are good. Just thought you should know. =/\=

Brek: =/\= Thank you for the warning, Lt. I had not expected our Romulan liaison officer so quickly. Brek out =/\=

::Any other officer might have panicked a little at the approach of a Romulan Republic Officer, he, on his side, smiled. Sure, she was going to give him a lot of aggro, but, as a former diplomat, that was exactly the sort of botheration he liked.::

::Right then, there was a call at this door, and with so much happening of late, he breathed out, trying to relax.::

Brek: Come in!

::The door opened and Ensign Nuvia Oori entered. She, like his F.O. was an unjoined Trill, and for the first time in his life, he wondered how life on Trill was like? Surely, it was bound to be better than the constant showers of Ferenginar and the addictive corporate food that was sold so aggressively in every city.::

Oori: You wanted to see me, sir?

Brek: I did indeed! ::He grabbed the two boxes on his desk and, without much ceremony, he joined the young  ensign in front of his desk. Only once there, he lost some of his assurance when he realized that the young woman was actually a little taller than him.:: oO I should have stayed safely on my chair... Oo ::Adopting his most solemn voice.:: Ensign Nuvia Oori, you may have been absent during most of our party yesterday, the Fleet has not forgotten you. ::He opened the first box.:: For your outstanding work when Columbia needed to prepare a few shuttles for Avronis, and also for your ability to keep Engineering working smoothly while Lt. Whittaker was incapacitated, it is with great honor that I promote you to the rank of Lt. JG.

::With precise movements, for he was quite used to dealing with tiny artifacts, he took the black and gold pip from its box, and placed it on Oori's collar, aligning the new pip with precision.::

Oori: ?

Brek: It is rightfully deserved, Lieutenant. I also present you with the innovation ribbon. ::He opened the second box, and gave it to her.:: Congratulations. Well, I guess we had better make it to the Briefing room now.

Oori: ?

::He led the way out of his office, and tugged down on his uniform, wanting to look at his best for the audience in the briefing room.::

Brek: It's going to be a long meeting... We've got some crew leaving us, but we also have a new Chief of Security, and a new Science Officer, who should have transferred to Columbia this morning. 

Oori: ?

::Just then, a figure who looked completely out of place on a Starfleet vessel emerged from a turbolift. Shiarrael, from the Romulan Republic, looked like a precise replica of the picture in her file. There was also a quiet arrogance about her, one that he had come to expect from every Romulan with a certain level of power and a dangerous past. You couldn't have one without the other, it seemed, within the Star Empire.::

Brek: Welcome aboard, Tribune Shiarrael!  Unfortunately, some last-minute transfers mean that the briefing I scheduled might be a bit late. Would you care to join me in my office, until those last few arrangements have been made?

::On one hand he was displaying a certain lack of organization, but on the other this opportune encounter was giving him a chance to have a private word with their Liaison officer. This, to him, was a good bargain.::

Shiarrael: ?

Brek: Lt. Oori, please let the crew know that I'm receiving a special guest and that I won't be long.

Oori: ?

::Within moment, Brek was back to his office, this time in the company of a Romulan dignitary. He allowed her to make herself comfortable, not that she looked like she needed any rest. If anything she was annoyed by his solicitude and this detour from the briefing room.::

Brek: I know I will sound obsequious, but it is a privilege for me to have you onboard, Tribune. I have a lot of admiration for what the Republic has achieved.

Shiarrael: ?

Brek: ::Slight smile, as he stood behind his desk.:: Yes, of course, to the point... The point, then, being that I'm not sure why the Republic is doing Columbia the honor of sending one of its operatives? Our next mission will take us to a barren region of space for some scientific research. You might actually find this venture quite tedious...

Shiarrael: ?

tag/tbc

Cmdr. Brek

C.O.

USS Columbia, NCC-85279

O238809B10