JP: Ensign Renaie Shortrith & Fleet Captain Karrod Niac - Old Stories from Home (PT2)

[Renaie Shortrith]

((Ships Library, Deck 5, USS Ronin))

Accepting the volume, Karrod flipped through a few pages and landed on the verse in question.  

Niac: “...And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him

In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,

And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,

And at night the wond'rous glory of the everlasting stars.”

For a moment Karrod could imagine himself in that place, in a wild where a breeze tickled his beard as a river sighed along nearby rocks, the night sky so vast and unending and distant above his head.  

Niac: That’s…quite beautiful. I can understand why this is a favorite.  

Renaie smiled softly, memories of their first few readings of that poem flooding back to memory.

Shortrith: Clancy of the Overflow. The way with words he has is just… simply wonderful.

He went to return the book but hesitated.  

Niac: Mind if I hang on to this for the evening? It wasn’t what I expected to pick up but there is something about it I enjoyed.  

Shortrith: Yeah sure! Well… It does belong to the library, so you'd need to borrow it.

He chuckled and nodded in thanks.  

Niac: Appreciate it…alright Banjo, tell me more about this Australia place. All I know about it I learned from this terrible old human film series my first Academy roommate loved for some reason. Do they spend a lot of time discussing what is and isn’t a knife in Australia? That’s all I can remember about the films.  

Shortrith: I’d be honoured to ramble about Australian history to anyone who’s willing to listen.

Chuckling, he tucked the book under one arm with a small smile.  

Niac: I’ll be happy to take you up on that one day but tonight I think I’ll let Mr. Paterson here introduce me to the place properly…with a little help from the newest Ronin, of course.  

Shortrith: That’s fair.

He offered the young officer a warm smile as he considered the strange journey all three of them had taken to wind up in this room. The book, poetry about an obscure corner of one world of the Federation, seemed the least odd after he thought about it.  

Niac: I’m glad to have you with us, Ensign. You did well during your first mission and while none of ours are easy, our last was…particularly challenging. I hope you’ve been able to settle in a little bit.  

Shortrith: I've tried, at least.

He nodded, his expression a bit more serious.  

Niac: Some days that’s all any of us can do, Ensign. Even Fleet Captains. And we have to hope that it’s enough.  

Shortrith: I suppose so, yeah. 

Karrod’s smile returned as he headed for the door but he turned and offered the young klingon counselor a final nod.  

Niac: Thanks again Counselor…for the book. And for trying. Both are appreciated.  

Shortrith: I've tried my best, Captain. Sometimes that's all we can really do. And you're welcome.

[End]

===============================

Ensign Renaie Shortrith

Assistant Counsellor

USS Ronin

They/Them (Player) They/She (Character)

A240204RS3

&

Fleet Captain Karrod Niac

Commanding Officer

USS Ronin - NCC-34523

V239509GT0