[BACKSIM] Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: Flimsy Tables
Lael Rosek
OOC: Takes place two days before “Worrying News”
((Rosek’s Quarters, Deck 9, USS Chin'toka, In orbit of Earth))
{{Time Index: Day 28 of Shoreleave, Super Early Morning}}
She’d been dead asleep when she’d gotten the comm call. Grumbling, she felt around clumsily for her commbadge, nearly knocking it off in the nightstand in the process. At last, she had it in hand and pinched it between her fingers once to open the channel.
Rosek: oO Somebody had better be dead or dying. Oo ::groggily:: =/\= Rosek.=/\=
Osiris: =/\= Osiris to Commanders Serala, Rosek and Journs. I need you in the conference room on deck three immediately. =/\=
Her brow furrowed at the urgency in the man’s voice and the loud, pained cry in the background. oOToryn?Oo It was just enough to jolt her quickly from her comfortable bed, her heart racing as she clumsily changed into civilian clothes appropriate for wandering the ship at this hour. Grabbing her commbadge, she bolted out of her quarters toward the conference room.
((Conference Room, Deck 3, USS Chin’toka, Starbase One, Earth Orbit, Sol System))
She arrived just after Serala to find Toryn in the tight grip of a Worene, a hold that she wasn’t sure she could have managed even with her years of martial arts training. Her gaze flickered to the decimated table and she barely contained a wince. She’d witnessed only a sliver of Toryn’s full strength when he’d broken her rib during a sparring match. She felt sorry for the table, glad that she hadn’t been present or she might have been an unintended casualty.
Serala: What’s going on?!
Osiris: It seems our Second Officer had a disagreement with the table. ::He groaned::
Meeting Toryn’s eyes for the first time since arriving, the overwhelming mix of emotions she’d felt from down the corridor suddenly made sense. He was projecting so strongly that she couldn’t help but feel what he was feeling. Her eyes slammed shut as she attempted to sift through the maelstrom so that she wouldn’t unintentionally trigger another outburst.
Journs: response
The sound of the woman attempting to soothe Toryn snapped her back to reality. She respectfully kept her gaze averted to at least give the two some approximation of privacy and knelt down to inspect the destroyed piece of furniture.
Serala: Lieutenant Commander Toryn Raga! You will come to attention! NOW COMMANDER!
She winced at the tone and glanced in Serala’s direction, the fire in the woman’s eyes enough that a younger, less experienced her would have shrunk back instinctively. It was a stark contrast to the calm rage she’d received from Captain Rahman when she’d argued with a superior officer--in front of the Antor II governor no less. Though different, it had the same impact on her.
She wanted to say something, but her tongue wouldn’t obey.
Raga: Inconclusive! ::He shouted back:: No foul play! Senseless! It was completely senseless! How can I protect anyone from that?!!
She tensed when he kicked the broken table hard and covered her face to protect it from the splinters that broke off when he did.
Osiris: Death is the greatest of hunters. No prey can avoid it for long. No one can be protected by it forever. ::He said solemnly::
Something that she knew all too well. She’d been lucky up until this point. She’d been brought back from clinical death three times. One day, it would be permanent. Just the thought was enough to stir up her anxiety. But she suppressed it. There were more than enough emotions flying around this room without her adding hers to the mix. She had to focus on subtly projecting calm to de-escalate the situation.
Serala / Journs: response
Raga: Winds, I have no course. There’s no one to chase. To hunt down and bring to justice for Jarred’s death.
The emotional confession tugged at Lael’s heart, having witnessed some of his deepest hurts first hand. When the two of them had shared a psionic bond, she’d seen his innermost insecurities. Though their bond wasn’t what it once was, the memories of his pain remained. She’d witnessed the internal reflection of his torture by the Consortium, helpless to do anything but be a conduit. Her attempts to comfort him had been feeble at best.
Memories of what she’d witnessed in that chaotic dreamscape threatened to steal her breath. He’d been so vulnerable and exposed. The strongest man she knew had been brought to his knees by his own insecurities, fed into his mind on a constant loop by his Consortium captors. In the mental construct they’d created together, she’d sang to him, the only thing she could think to do as she’d clumsily projected all of the calm and comfort she’d been able to muster.
She gritted her teeth and clamped down on the memories, forcing them into the locked box in the back of her mind. Now wasn’t the time to revisit them.
Raga: ::He said in a hoarse voice:: I’ve never felt so useless in my life and for a misfit that’s saying something. ::He muttered::
Lael barely managed to restrain herself from punching him to knock some sense into him. She’d heard him use that word too many times. Misfit. It struck a nerve, revealing her own insecurities. She’d grown up fighting to feel like she fit in. She’d hidden so much of herself from those around her in an effort to do it.
Rosek: ::mutters:: If I hear you call yourself that one more time, I won’t be responsible for my actions.
It was said with a cold calm, a contrast to the rage she was fighting back.
Raga: Response
Journs: response
She rose to her feet, tugging at the hem of her shirt, her gaze meeting his.
Rosek: I know I’m the outsider here. I didn’t know him like you all did. I didn’t serve with him long either. ::pauses:: When I was a jay-gee, I watched a woman--a crewman and a nurse--under my charge die in front of me. Sucked into the blackness of space with me helpless to stop it.
Her gaze dropped to the deck for a moment in an attempt to regain control before she was able to look up again.
Rosek: Sometimes death doesn’t make any sense and no matter how hard you try to find an explanation, there isn’t one. You’ve all done everything you can to make sense of it. Maybe it’s time now to stop trying. ::grimaces:: You’ll never forget. Not entirely. But maybe you can forget long enough each day to get back to some semblance of normal.
She hadn’t meant for the conversation to take such a serious turn, but the topic was one that required seriousness. As someone who had lived through situations at least somewhat relatable to this one, she’d felt the need to impart her own wisdom. However, if anyone had had reason to question the mask she wore everyday, they certainly weren’t in any doubt now. Life was painful at times and the best they could do was take a step forward. And another. And another until movement became less excruciating than standing still.
Raga: Response
Serala: Commander Raga, we all share your grief. But for now, go to your quarters. Feel free to grieve all you want there. And when you are more collected, come see me and we can talk. As friends, not as your commanding officer.
Lael followed the Romulan woman’s gaze to the now ruined table and she grimaced. Toryn’s strength on full display was damned intimidating.
Serala: And no more destroying furniture. We’re not even out of space dock and already we have to replace the conference table. Consider that one an order. Ishka, will you see he gets back okay?
Journs: response
Raga: Response
Her gaze flickered to the pair, noting the silent exchange as they left the room. She suspected there was so much more behind it than any of them could understand. For all she knew about the man, he was still somewhat of an enigma to her. Part of her envied the ease with which the woman comforted him. Journs had a softness to her that Lael could never be accused of. For all her compassion, she knew she that she was a tough woman to get along with. It was any wonder Chythar put up with her.
She noted the way Serala’s gaze flickered in her direction and she knew before the woman even opened her mouth what she was going to ask.
Serala: Well, that was very intense. Not a word of this to anyone. Let’s give the man some dignity.
Lael simply nodded. She had her own issues and knew she’d be extremely embarrassed were she in Toryn’s shoes. She prided herself on discretion and had always done her utmost to avoid becoming the center of the ship’s gossip vine.
Osiris: Response
Serala: Commander, would you please see about getting us a new table. I don’t want whoever our new CO will be to come aboard and see this.
Rosek: ::nods:: Yes, ma’am.
It was reflexive, though not empty. She’d already been considering the specifications for the replacement. She’d oversee the work herself to ensure discretion. It would take longer that way and the requisition requests required to do the job would raise a couple of eyebrows. However, a simple look from her would silence anyone who dared ask.
Serala: Thank you. Both of you.
As Serala left, Lael turned to Osiris.
Rosek: I take it this is a thing for him?
Osiris: Response
She sighed and had the feeling that she’d need to have several sets of these parts on hand. Despite Serala’s sternly-worded dress down, Lael doubted this would be the last table they would lose to Toryn’s frustration.