Lieutenant JG Amelia Semara - A Still! My Beating Heart...

[Max]

(( Amelia's Quarter's, Room 145, Deck 14, USS Khitomer - Docked at DS33 ))

In the time it took to reach Deep Space 33, Amelia began to understand the life of the engineer in a way she never had.  During her time at the academy, she briefly dabbled with operations department classes, but those had been more focused on getting the manpower and material to the right place, and not on the actual job.  The actual job, it turned out, was a grueling slog.

Being neither an electronics nor a warp engineer, and not especially handy with the more practical concerns like fixing the sonic showers, she was relegated to menial tasks.  Hopefully the Vulcans aboard survived the smell of five-hundred bodies at work that built up for a moment there...  Regardless, besides her familiarity with sensor systems and a passing knowledge of life support, her main engineering skill turned out to be stacking up crates and cleaning up broken equipment given her last foray into fixing anything wound up quite literally blowing up in her face.  This made the job no less taxing.

This particular duty assignment did, however, lead to an especially upsetting discovery the morning before Khitomer arrived at DS33.

Alas!  The still - sundered on the floor before anyone even had a chance to use it beyond a simple test run.  It must have floated up, then smashed back down when gravity was restored.   On finding it, all Amelia could think of was poor Ras.  He'd put so much effort into getting it put together last shore leave, and now who was to say he'd even have the ability to put it back together any time soon?  Last she'd heard, he still hadn't left sickbay.  She picked up the pieces, cradled them in her arms the way she wished she could have held Ras' broken body, and quietly secreted them back to her quarters before anyone noticed the equipment of questionable belonging.

It was later that day when Khitomer's limping finally ceased, and DS33's umbilical tied into the ship.  Sonic showers galore!

Nothing had ever felt so glorious as a clean skin, freshly done-up hair, and a clean, flowy dress instead of a grubby uniform that would probably just need to be thrown into the replicator and de-materialized.  Even better, she quickly discovered DS33 had fresh food grown from a garden in their arboretum, and promptly spent a solid hour just inhaling the scent of various herbs and vegetables until she was satisfied they were worthy of the dinner she intended to make.  The seeds of an idea sprouted into a full-fledged plan.  There was only one problem.

How was she going to get Connor away from his dang engines and computers?  The grand total of three times she'd seen him in passing since Khitomer set course for DS33, he'd been haggard and dragging PADDs full of engineering work tickets down the corridors...  Not that she blamed him, but she was beginning to worry.  Was he sleeping?  And eating?

Oh!  Of course.  She opened a window on her quarter's computer, and opened an engineering work ticket of her own.

---

Subj: Mysterious broken equipment, leaking pungent fluid in habitation.

Priority: HIGHEST!

Location: Crew Quarters Room 145, Deck 14.

Notes: Object possibly hazardous to health...

P.S. Commander Dewitt, I know you're reading this... Come hungry.

---

Amelia grinned to herself, and pressed send.  Perhaps it wasn't a use of the ticketing system Starfleet regulations would approve of, but, strictly speaking, it was quite an urgent matter that Connor took some time for himself.  Besides, she hadn't fabricated anything, and then she'd practically signed the thing and put a little wink on the text.  She wasn't hurting anyone, as far as she was concerned.

She set to work.  There was a superior officer to thank, and she was not prepared to let her years spent playing hostess to dignitaries back home go to waste.  Best of all, she had a secret weapon in her mission of gratitude: Mrs. Dewitt's ratatouille recipe.  It was a secret she'd acquired from the woman herself when she helped make food for Connor's wedding - probably without the man's knowledge.  It felt a little like cheating, already knowing it was something the man's mom prepared for him when he came back home, but she couldn't see any reason the man didn't deserve a little bit of happiness away from Earth.

A loaf of fresh bread had just finished baking, a bottle of wine was breathing, and the ratatouille was already on a warmer when the door chime sounded.

She floated over to the door herself, and opened it.  She beamed happily, and curtsied low and deliberately in her summery dress.  It was the best sign of affection she could think of to greet him with.

Semara: Commander...  :: Rising with a big grin. :: Connor.  Thank you for comin'.  Please.  Come in.

C. Dewitt: Response

Amelia ushered the man in, grinning as his nostrils slowly clued him in on precisely what he was in for.

Semara: Oh, no, there really is broken equipment I could use help with.  :: Pointing to the still on a desk. :: The alcohol smell is real strong...  :: A soft chuckle. :: But you're right.  I did wanna make sure you ain't runnin' yourself ragged.  And to say thank you, proper.  You've been very good to me, an' I'd be remiss not to show my appreciation.  We're docked.  The ship can wait a minute for you, I 'xpect.

Heavens, the monologue she'd dumped on him right after her field promotion was worth all this fuss for an apology alone.  It was still embarrassing, and in the end a tense mission had found her far more settled in her new rank than she expected.  But Connor had laid the groundwork for her to get past herself.  He'd let her get it all out.  He'd been there for her when she wasn't sure where else to go.  And that deserved all the pomp she could think up.

C. Dewitt: Response

Semara: 'Sides, I ain't sure who else aboard could tell me if I got this right...

The covering came off the beautifully multi-colored ratatouille, and she just let herself giggle and giggle, bouncing happily away as Connor's feelings poured out.  She loved this part of spoiling the people she liked.

C. Dewitt: Response

Tag / TBC...

Lieutenant Junior Grade Amelia Magnolia Semara

Science Officer

USS Khitomer - NCC-62400

A239710MA0