Ens Chevalier - The whisper of two broken wings
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CPT Arianus
Apr 12, 2024, 10:30:27 AM4/12/24
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(( First Officer's office, USS Artemis-A, deck 2 ))
As the commander listened intently to Ensign Chevalier's report, he noticed a sudden shift in the Ensign's thought process. The commander's attention was piqued when he realized there was more to the situation than what was being said. Just as Ensign Chevalier was describing the mission's details, Commander Dakora raised an eyebrow and interrupted him, causing the Ensign to falter mid-sentence.
Dakora: Jaseb, are you alright? You seem… off?
Jaseb's gaze met the commander's; his concern was evident. He was acutely aware of the commander's astute observation skills, fearing that Dakora might uncover the truth behind his facade.
Chevalier paused as if he was about to speak but stayed silent, his mouth slightly open. After another breath, he looked down at his hands beneath the table before locking eyes with the commander once again.
Chevalier: I'm just a little exhausted, sir. I did not sleep well last night, and there is a really long list of tasks needed to prepare this ship for its next mission, so there is no bright light at the end of the tunnel, sir. Not right now.
The commander leaned in, his curiosity piqued, his hands forming a steeple on his desk. Something in Chevalier’s words caught his attention and confirmed some suspicion he had.
Dakora: I’m no counselor, but I was there too. I know what you went through. If you’d like to, you know, talk about it, we can. ::He glanced at the PADD on the desk.:: Off the record.
Ensign Chevalier nodded, and it was evident he was deep in thought. However, he soon relaxed, as if he had come to terms with the sword coming down on his neck. The commander noticed the tension in his face eased and could more clearly discern the emotions reflected in the ensign's expression.
Chevalier: Sir? Why are we all… we are trying to be ok? Look and act normal on the outside, when out there we went through something that can only be basically compared to a nuclear holocaust?
The ensign raised his hands, trembling. He closed and opened them several times to calm them down and smiled apologetically.
Chevalier: You met your mother, who is dead. There was a girl in her resistance cell, Anna. Maybe you remember her. I know her brother; he was my roommate at the Academy. He always talked about her as a friendly, kind person who dreamed of stars and space exploration. She was a cadet back then - died during the War in the invasion of Betazed, defending the Academy. That Anna we met wasn’t the person I always heard about. How does someone so lovely, kind, and innocent turn into a brutal, cruel, and dark version of herself we met? Would she be like that if she would survive the war?
The commander paid close attention to the words of the blonde Ensign sitting across from him, occasionally nodding in agreement.
Once Jaseb finished speaking, Dakora spoke up, offering a small, sad smile as he began to talk.
Dakora: I know that wasn’t the easiest subject, so I appreciate your candor. ::He took a deep breath.:: You should know you aren’t alone Jaseb. I remember– after my first encounter with CloQ– feeling this strange sense of anxiety that this reality was just another one of CloQ’s tricks and that at any moment they’d appear and snap me into some new nightmare.
Talos sipped his steaming Raktajino before setting it down with a click.
Dakora: Our brains don’t handle the impossible all that well. It just takes time.
Chevalier: Thank you, sir, for your kind words. Yeah, maybe I just need to work it out, and some proper sleep wouldn't hurt. Jaseb smiled and reached out to PADD for a transfer request. Chevalier: So when we lift the anchor from DS9, you can promise that for once, I don't know, we'll be exploring the stars and uninhabited planets and not having to deal with some galactic crisis where we've just been shot, stabbed, murdered…? You know, just a normal Friday. No Borg crisis Monday, not Q Tuesday. Or time shenanigans on Wednesday. And totally not Klingon invaded Federation Thursday. Friday. Just a normal, calm Friday. We can return then to all the craziness at transporter malfunction splitting, combining, turning inside out Saturday, deal? The ensign even laughed, and his shoulders relaxed from the tension he felt.
Dakora: Response
TAG/TBC
As the commander listened intently to Ensign Chevalier's report, he noticed a sudden shift in the Ensign's thought process. The commander's attention was piqued when he realized there was more to the situation than what was being said. Just as Ensign Chevalier was describing the mission's details, Commander Dakora raised an eyebrow and interrupted him, causing the Ensign to falter mid-sentence.
Dakora: Jaseb, are you alright? You seem… off?
Jaseb's gaze met the commander's; his concern was evident. He was acutely aware of the commander's astute observation skills, fearing that Dakora might uncover the truth behind his facade.
Chevalier paused as if he was about to speak but stayed silent, his mouth slightly open. After another breath, he looked down at his hands beneath the table before locking eyes with the commander once again.
Chevalier: I'm just a little exhausted, sir. I did not sleep well last night, and there is a really long list of tasks needed to prepare this ship for its next mission, so there is no bright light at the end of the tunnel, sir. Not right now.
The commander leaned in, his curiosity piqued, his hands forming a steeple on his desk. Something in Chevalier’s words caught his attention and confirmed some suspicion he had.
Dakora: I’m no counselor, but I was there too. I know what you went through. If you’d like to, you know, talk about it, we can. ::He glanced at the PADD on the desk.:: Off the record.
Ensign Chevalier nodded, and it was evident he was deep in thought. However, he soon relaxed, as if he had come to terms with the sword coming down on his neck. The commander noticed the tension in his face eased and could more clearly discern the emotions reflected in the ensign's expression.
Chevalier: Sir? Why are we all… we are trying to be ok? Look and act normal on the outside, when out there we went through something that can only be basically compared to a nuclear holocaust?
The ensign raised his hands, trembling. He closed and opened them several times to calm them down and smiled apologetically.
Chevalier: You met your mother, who is dead. There was a girl in her resistance cell, Anna. Maybe you remember her. I know her brother; he was my roommate at the Academy. He always talked about her as a friendly, kind person who dreamed of stars and space exploration. She was a cadet back then - died during the War in the invasion of Betazed, defending the Academy. That Anna we met wasn’t the person I always heard about. How does someone so lovely, kind, and innocent turn into a brutal, cruel, and dark version of herself we met? Would she be like that if she would survive the war?
The commander paid close attention to the words of the blonde Ensign sitting across from him, occasionally nodding in agreement.
Once Jaseb finished speaking, Dakora spoke up, offering a small, sad smile as he began to talk.
Dakora: I know that wasn’t the easiest subject, so I appreciate your candor. ::He took a deep breath.:: You should know you aren’t alone Jaseb. I remember– after my first encounter with CloQ– feeling this strange sense of anxiety that this reality was just another one of CloQ’s tricks and that at any moment they’d appear and snap me into some new nightmare.
Talos sipped his steaming Raktajino before setting it down with a click.
Dakora: Our brains don’t handle the impossible all that well. It just takes time.
Chevalier: Thank you, sir, for your kind words. Yeah, maybe I just need to work it out, and some proper sleep wouldn't hurt. Jaseb smiled and reached out to PADD for a transfer request. Chevalier: So when we lift the anchor from DS9, you can promise that for once, I don't know, we'll be exploring the stars and uninhabited planets and not having to deal with some galactic crisis where we've just been shot, stabbed, murdered…? You know, just a normal Friday. No Borg crisis Monday, not Q Tuesday. Or time shenanigans on Wednesday. And totally not Klingon invaded Federation Thursday. Friday. Just a normal, calm Friday. We can return then to all the craziness at transporter malfunction splitting, combining, turning inside out Saturday, deal? The ensign even laughed, and his shoulders relaxed from the tension he felt.
Dakora: Response
TAG/TBC
--
Ensign Jaseb Chevalier
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1
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