[sb118-artemis] Ensign Tho'Bi - The Chief, The Andorian, and his Duffel Bag

[Tobi]

—————————————-

(( Corridor, Deck 7, USS Artemis-A ))

Combining his ‘on-boarding medical check up’ with Dr. Adea, and reporting for duty with Captain MacKenzie, was not the manner in which the young ensign would have chosen to start his Starfleet career; it had not gone well.  He hurried along the brightly lit corridor, moving faster than he intended; as much as he was heading for Deck 5 and his berth, he was also heading away from sickbay and the fool he had made of himself.  The ensign was so preoccupied, it wasn’t until the Bajoran woman called out to him; he even realised she was there and that the two of them had nearly collided. 

Ral: Hey, Goldie! Come here! ::pinpoint Tho'Bi with her gaze:: Yes, you. Come. Now.

He halted his pace and turned on his heel to face the Bajoran woman.  He had not needed to see her, to know she was enlisted; only the enlisted spoke, in the way she had spoken to him.  When he and his mother was stationed on Deep Space 3, much of the day to day work was done by enlisted personnel; much of the help and support his mother had received, in terms of caring for him, her six year old boy, had come from enlisted personnel.

The Bajoran woman was almost a foot shorter than he, and judging by her demeanor, entirely aware, and entirely indifferent to this fact.   

Tho'Bi: Yes (beat) what do you need?

He had not meant to be so casual in his reply, but he had, in his early years, developed a habit of speaking with enlisted crew; they had delighted in the bold, no nonsense Andorian child.  The Bajoran, for her part, seemed hardly to notice the manner of his reply; and instead looked him up and down, as though she were evaluating him for purchase, at a slaver’s market, outside of Federation space.

Ral: You will do. Good. Good. Senior Chief Ral. Ship’s boatswain. You are going with me, ensign…?

Tho'Bi: Ensign?  ::puzzled:: Oh!  ::nods::  You mean my name.  (beat) Tho’Bi.  (beat) Ensign Tho’Bi. (beat) Am I going with you?  ::holds up his duffel bag:: I have t- (beat) to find my berth.  ::gestures with other hand behind him:: And (beat) And I have to report to Engineering.

The Chief let out a tired sigh; the sigh of someone too galaxy-worn for the having of much patience.

Ral: Don’t worry, ensign. I will clear this up with your boss later. Now follow me.

Technically, the young ensign outranked any and all enlisted crew; but he had spent enough time around Starfleet crews to know, no ensign pulled rank on a Senior Chief Petty Officer; particularly an ensign just days out of the Academy, he’d likely get laughed at to his face, or knocked flat on his backside; with the look of this Chief, he might get both; best to do as he was told.  

(( Transporter Room 3, Deck 7, USS Artemis-A ))

And so like a dutiful puppy, a 6 foor 3 inch tall Andorian puppy, but a puppy never-the-less, he followed the Chief to the nearest transporter room.  The young engineer noted that the lights snapped on only as they arrived, meaning the station was unmanned.  Clunk!  The locker door swung open and a belt and handcuffs pulled out.  The Chief handed the belt and handcuffs to the somewhat bemused engineering ensign; the addition of a phaser, did nothing to diminish his sense of bemusement.

Ral: You are temporally reassigned to security, ensign. I need to pick up one bellow decker from detention and have no time to go through proper channels with ship security, so there goes You. Congratulation. Do you wanna be in holding of favor with me?

He could have refused.  He could have pulled rank.  He could of reported the Chief to the Captain and senior officers.  There were a lot of things he could have done; but he also knew, what the Senior Chief Petty Officer could and would do, if he did any of those things; she could and would make his life aboard ship a living hell.

Tho'Bi: Aye, Aye.

Chief nodded and handed over to Tho’Bi the phaser.

Ral: Good answer, ensign. Questions?

Tho'Bi: Errmm… ::holds up duffel bag:: where do I…

Ral: Response

The ensign looked across at his duffel bag; now no longer in his hand, but slumped beside the weapons locker.  Everything he owned that was important was in that duffel bag.  For a moment, he felt a very childlike sense of panic flow through him; and all he wanted was his mother.  Very quietly, in small controlled movements, he checked the phaser was set to stun, holstered it, and stepped up onto the Transporter pad.  Andorians had four times the strength of the average human; but in that moment, he felt very small indeed.

Ral: Response

TAG/TBC

————————————

Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11