[Backsim, JP] Second Secretary Aitas & Cadet Naledi - Is This Seat Taken?
Aitas
((Starfleet Campus, Earth, 2400))
Aitas didn’t tend to spend much time on Earth. It wasn’t home, and she had minimal interest in being a tourist there. She’d made a few visits to spend time with Teryn and his family, to let Aurelio see the planet, and for a mixture of more professional reasons.
It was the latter that had brought her in this time. Her path to Starfleet Intelligence had been unusual, to say the least, and while it was more common for the occasional cadet to be directed her way, there were times where she was asked to speak on the matter.
This time it had felt a little more tiring, all those young cadets and the way they hadn’t quite hidden their horror at the tale. Most of them had been born too late to remember the Dominion War at all.
She had ducked into one of the little cafes set about the campus, a space split between those actually there for drinks and those nursing them to have a slightly quieter environment to study. It was full, more than she’d expected, but then she was long separated from such routines.
The nearest empty chair was at a table with a Xindi-Insectoid, not a common sight amid the student body.
Aitas: Might I sit here?
Naledi didn’t look up to begin with. They weren’t used to people wanting to sit near them, let alone on the same table. It was only when they noticed the shadow of the voice hadn’t moved in a short while. Looking up at the humanoid, they noticed… A humanoid. Not a Xindi… Usually it was other Xindi that treated them as a person… Not that they were common around here.
Naledi: Click Snap Crack Creak… Please, I don’t own the table
The woman took a seat, they didn’t look like they were a fellow student. No uniform…
Being dressed in civilian clothes made her stand out a bit, though she’d chosen a common sort of professional outfit: black pants and a matching jacket, with the latter worn over an embroidered blouse.
Aitas: Aitas. I was just here to do a guest lecture.
Fureri curled up under the chair as Aitas took her seat.
Naledi: Crick Crack Snap Creak… Cadet Naledi, Cadet. What are you lecturing about?
Aitas: Intelligence. Though I fear it’s not as exciting as it sounds. It and Operations are ever in a contest for most PADDwork.
People tended to come up with the most dramatic theories, far too influenced by wild tales of the Tal Shiar or a simple desire to pretend that everything in Starfleet was constantly exciting.
Naledi nodded, training to be a security officer themself, they were blessed with target practice over ticking boxes. Although they were advised to minor in intelligence. For whatever reason that was beyond them, they took the advice
Naledi: Crick Crack Snap Pop… I came in thinking it would be more hands on, but honestly, it’s just research.
Aitas: That’s a lot of Starfleet, to be fair. Saying you’ll get to do massive quantities of PADDwork isn’t exactly the ideal recruiting strategy.
At least not for most people.
Naledi’s mandibles chittered as a cold wind passed them by.
Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss Twinge… How do you not get bored in that office? I get that it’s non-violent information retrieval, but couldn’t there be some spy stuff? That would at least make it more interesting.
Aitas shrugged a bit and took a sip of her drink before answering. It was warm, and mild in the way that meant it had actually been made to Vulcan tastes.
Aitas: Oh, that’s the analysis part. There’s a little bit of a thrill out of solving a puzzle and all that. Even if it does mean you’ve just found a new problem to solve.
Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Creak… A never ending cycle? How do I uncover evidence without force? This one doesn’t tolerate liars.
Aitas: There are plenty of ways to stumble across things people don’t want to hear. Once discovered a mostly finished eavesdropping device quite literally planted in a garden. Someone was quite upset about the impact on their roses.
Roses? Naledi was unsure about the relevance of plant matter on the investigation, the plant would surely grow back?
Naledi was unsure of their own body language, but clearly Aitas felt compelled to continue the story.
Aitas: Sometimes it’s discovering a bit more than you’d like to know about the foibles of your coworkers, or encountering far too many variations of the same form. Sometimes it’s figuring out how to rescue hundreds of people from the Orion Syndicate.
It was no doubt a cliche, but such things did make much of the rest worthwhile. And she’d always had a good eye for detail.
Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss… So the planning? Getting the information for tactics? Crick Snap Hiss Creak… That’s the joy of intel?
Aitas: Good information may not be the showiest thing, but it can make a great deal of difference.
Naledi felt a flutter in their body. It felt good.
Naledi: Snap Pop Creak… Perhaps I dismissed Intelligence too quickly.
Aitas made a little shrug with one shoulder. The Federation could be strange about the field, so that wasn't a surprise.
Aitas: It’s perfectly reasonable to re-evaluate upon gaining new information. And if they expected cadets to know everything then we’d be rather short on them.
Naledi rarely opened up to others, but this one came over to their table, whereas most did not. They may talk too much, but at least what they were talking about was interesting.
Naledi: Crick Pop Twinge Snap… You have more lectures? Space in the seating for me?
Naledi hit their universal translator in annoyance. Sometimes it couldn’t quite get across exactly what they were saying.
Now that was a rather universal gesture of frustration. And one Aitas could sympathize with; she didn’t know any of the Xindi languages but she knew enough others to have caught several cases where the universal translator missed an important nuance or made a sentence come out dreadfully awkward.
She pulled up the lecture dates and times on a PADD and held that out to Naledi.
Aitas: Three more. These are the times; and my temporary comms protocol is in there as well. Let me know if you have any trouble with getting a spot.
Naledi gratefully took the PADD from Aita’s hands. Looking down at the PADD, they felt a strong sense of gratitude towards this woman whom they did not know. Why were they being so nice to them?
Naledi: Crick Snap Pop… Thanking you
Aitas leaned back a little in the chair; Fureri shifted around her feet.
Aitas: They usually have a question and answer portion at the end, but if you have any specific questions you’re also welcome to ask me now.
Naledi: oO Here goes Oo Crick Snap Pop Creak Twinge Hiss… One. Why are you being so kind to me? You do not know who I am.
That was the sort of question Aitas could give a near-infinity of answers to.
Aitas: Because you don’t mind listening to me. Because you’ve given me absolutely no reason to be anything other than kind. And, ::she tapped a finger on the side of her cup:: I remember how much a bit of kindness can mean.
She had a particularly drastic example of the latter in Jakarn, though that was hardly a topic for casual conversation.
Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Creak… Meaning no offence. Crick Snap Twinge Hiss… Most avoid this one. Snap Pop Hiss… Would anyone talk to me? Trust me?
Aitas: You’re a Starfleet cadet. If your fellow cadets aren’t willing to see that, then that folly is on them. Where would Starfleet be without a variety of approaches, of perspectives?
Naledi agreed, but wasn’t sure if they wanted to push those approaches as far as to apply to themselves. They clicked slightly, before they replied.
Naledi: Crick Snap Pop… Humanoid Society is odd. Integration is hard.
Aitas nodded, then pushed her chair back a little as she stood. Fureri moved to stand beside her, as Aitas gave Naledi a brief smile.
Aitas: There will always be things Starfleet can do better. But in the meantime, I expect to see you at the lecture, Cadet. I look forward to hearing your questions.
Naledi’s mandibles clicked nervously as their antenna twitched. They looked forward to attending the lecture held by Aitas. Instantly they grabbed their PADD. Intelligence seemed more interesting than they initially thought, and knew they’d take full advantage of the guest lecturer.
&
Cadet Naledi
Security Cadet
Starfleet Academy (San Francisco Campus)
R240107AS3