Lt.Cmdr. Drex - Signals matter
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Drex Drex
Mar 30, 2026, 8:40:17 AM (2 days ago) Mar 30
to sb118...@googlegroups.com
((Captain’s Office, Deck One, USS Eagle-A))
Drex was not comfortable with many things. Being the center of attention was one. Dealing with telepaths was another. It was no surprise, then, that the current situation left him ill at ease.
The Denobulan understood that the captain was trying to reassure him about his doubts and actions during the last mission, but the comparison did not feel fair. They were too different: different homeworlds, cultures, histories... and abilities. Betazoid abilities, in particular, were not something he could easily set aside.
He had no real measure of Captain Adea’s telepathic range or limits, only the certainty that he possessed them. Drex chose to trust his ethics, to believe he would not reach into his thoughts without consent. Assuming, of course, that he could.
It was an unease he was working to overcome. Not only because he was Shyla’s godfather, but because Starfleet was not Kalus, and he could not expect to avoid telepaths and empaths. But the discomfort still lingered.
And now, as Adea drew parallels between his own doubts and Drex’s, the Denobulan found himself focusing less on the similarities and more on how differently the captain would have acted in his place.
Drex: There’s still a lot I need to learn.
Genkos cocked his head to one side.
Adea: There’s still a lot I need to learn, Drex. But that’s why we’re out here - Starfleet, we don’t just explore the stars, we explore ourselves. Space is the crucible in which we thrive.
The Denobulan gave a slow nod. He understood the principle; it wasn’t the first time he had heard those words. And, truthfully, the stars were no different from any other place, he was old enough to know that.
But if space itself was the same for all of them, what changed was how each individual perceived it and how they were able to act upon it.
Drex: I understand, sir. ::He inclined his head slightly, choosing to speak his thoughts:: Though... we don’t all experience that crucible in quite the same way.
Genkos inclined his head towards Drex, then raised an eyebrow.
Adea: When you say that I would have read the Alomians better, what do you mean?
The First Officer doubted Adea needed the clarification. It felt less like a request for explanation and more like a question about how Drex perceived his captain. The truth was, he did not know. Not really. He had no clear sense of the extent of Adea’s abilities, only that they should exist. And that uncertainty made him careful.
Drex: I mean... you would have had a clearer sense of them as people, Sir. You’d have picked up details I didn’t.
Adea: Response
The Denobulan noticed the slight tension in the captain’s expression.
Drex: The way you read a room... that’s not unique. But it’s something others learn over time. ::A thoughtful pause:: Joined Trills carry lifetimes of experience. Denobulans... Well, we have the advantage of time to observe, to make mistakes, to adjust. ::A brief breath:: But I’m still at the point where I rely on what I’m told and what I think I see.
Adea: Response
The Denobulan let the silence settle for a moment. He had been explaining himself, but perhaps the more useful part was not what he thought, but what the captain actually experienced in that same situation.
Drex: May I ask you something, Sir? ::He waited just long enough to be sure he could continue:: When you say you feel doubt as well... What do you rely on most in those moments? ::He paused, taking a brief breath:: Because I can observe people in front of me, but I don’t always know which signals matter until it’s too late.
Adea: Response
TAGS / TBC
Drex was not comfortable with many things. Being the center of attention was one. Dealing with telepaths was another. It was no surprise, then, that the current situation left him ill at ease.
The Denobulan understood that the captain was trying to reassure him about his doubts and actions during the last mission, but the comparison did not feel fair. They were too different: different homeworlds, cultures, histories... and abilities. Betazoid abilities, in particular, were not something he could easily set aside.
He had no real measure of Captain Adea’s telepathic range or limits, only the certainty that he possessed them. Drex chose to trust his ethics, to believe he would not reach into his thoughts without consent. Assuming, of course, that he could.
It was an unease he was working to overcome. Not only because he was Shyla’s godfather, but because Starfleet was not Kalus, and he could not expect to avoid telepaths and empaths. But the discomfort still lingered.
And now, as Adea drew parallels between his own doubts and Drex’s, the Denobulan found himself focusing less on the similarities and more on how differently the captain would have acted in his place.
Drex: There’s still a lot I need to learn.
Genkos cocked his head to one side.
Adea: There’s still a lot I need to learn, Drex. But that’s why we’re out here - Starfleet, we don’t just explore the stars, we explore ourselves. Space is the crucible in which we thrive.
The Denobulan gave a slow nod. He understood the principle; it wasn’t the first time he had heard those words. And, truthfully, the stars were no different from any other place, he was old enough to know that.
But if space itself was the same for all of them, what changed was how each individual perceived it and how they were able to act upon it.
Drex: I understand, sir. ::He inclined his head slightly, choosing to speak his thoughts:: Though... we don’t all experience that crucible in quite the same way.
Genkos inclined his head towards Drex, then raised an eyebrow.
Adea: When you say that I would have read the Alomians better, what do you mean?
The First Officer doubted Adea needed the clarification. It felt less like a request for explanation and more like a question about how Drex perceived his captain. The truth was, he did not know. Not really. He had no clear sense of the extent of Adea’s abilities, only that they should exist. And that uncertainty made him careful.
Drex: I mean... you would have had a clearer sense of them as people, Sir. You’d have picked up details I didn’t.
Adea: Response
The Denobulan noticed the slight tension in the captain’s expression.
Drex: The way you read a room... that’s not unique. But it’s something others learn over time. ::A thoughtful pause:: Joined Trills carry lifetimes of experience. Denobulans... Well, we have the advantage of time to observe, to make mistakes, to adjust. ::A brief breath:: But I’m still at the point where I rely on what I’m told and what I think I see.
Adea: Response
The Denobulan let the silence settle for a moment. He had been explaining himself, but perhaps the more useful part was not what he thought, but what the captain actually experienced in that same situation.
Drex: May I ask you something, Sir? ::He waited just long enough to be sure he could continue:: When you say you feel doubt as well... What do you rely on most in those moments? ::He paused, taking a brief breath:: Because I can observe people in front of me, but I don’t always know which signals matter until it’s too late.
Adea: Response
TAGS / TBC
============
Lt. Commander Drex
First Officer
USS Eagle-A
D240011D14
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