LtCmdr Salkath - I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours (Postings, Natch)

[Salkath]

((Main Sickbay, Deck 7 - USS Artemis-A))

The fortuitous thing about being a career officer with Starfleet was that barring recurrent injuries or genetic disorders, one could expect medical file transfers from one ship or installation to the next to be routine affairs. This was true now for Lieutenant Commander Salkath, who after the formalities were complete, found himself in amicable conversation with the chief medical officer of his new posting.

Salkath: One must commend you for your efforts in making the transition smooth, then. You and the rest of the senior staff. I have seen crews struggle with a changeover in vessels before, but this crew seems stout.

Commander Genkos Adea nodded affirmatively at that observation, and Salkath suspected there was a little note of pride in his expression. Though pride was illogical, it was also understandable when it came to recognizing and supporting the accomplishments of your peers and those under your command.

Adea: This crew is one of the stoutest crews I’ve ever worked with, it’s true.

Salkath: A crew that is tempered under pressure is bound to exceed expectations. Not every crew gets that opportunity.

It was a weighted statement, borne from experience. It was possible that the doctor had inadvertently 'read' that from the Vulcan... or simply determined his facial expression. Vulcans were not always as stoic in their expressions as they were wont to think.

Adea: So you’ve served on a lot of ships then?

Salkath: If you include my service for the Vulcan High Command, then the Artemis is my fifth ship. 

The engineer had tried to serve on a Vulcan ship before Starfleet became an interest for him. It was the pedantic, pointless nature of the missions aboard that ship that had driven him towards the Federation's exploratory arm. It was uncouth in polite Vulcan circles to say he had been bored, but Salkath had certainly not felt challenged in his discipline among his homeworld peers.

Adea: response

Salkath: As you know, we serve where we are asked or needed. I do respect those officers with the fortitude and opportunity to serve the majority or entirety of their careers in one location, but that is not always an option.

Or not always a desire, truth be told. Salkath had already admitted that he sought transfers more often than necessary for irrational reasons, but it was easier to convince himself that he did so in the service of others than in the service of himself.

Adea: response

Salkath: Can I assume from your demeanor that you have a lengthy list of commissions as well?

Not always the best judge of character, or really anything to do with deciphering the emotional state of others, Salkath nonetheless felt that Genkos had a wearied traveler aura about him. There were several possible cues for this, not least of which was the presence of a walking aid. In this day and age of medical and prosthetic advances, the choice to augment a physical detriment with archaic or rudimentary assistance aids was almost always a conscious affectation. Salkath would never deign to rudely probe into it further, however.

Adea: response

TAG/TBC

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Lieutenant Commander Salkath

Engineer, USS Artemis-A

A239111MT0