JP: Ensign Renaie Shortrith & Fleet Captain Karrod Niac - Old Stories from Home (PT1)
Karrod Niac
((Ready Room, Deck 3, USS Ronin))
At the end of another long day Karrod had found himself unable to focus and rather than sitting at his desk, he’d stood and turned his attention to the shelf of keepsakes and curios he’d accumulated since taking over command of the Ronin. A stone from Grus Beta III sat proudly next to a melted chunk of hullplate, recovered from the Siege of DS33, etched with the sigils of the three ships that had served in that desperate defense. His eyes eventually fell on an old holo of himself and Maki, Rear Admiral Makisig Corcino, back when they’d been Ensigns aboard Placeholder Station, the first posting for the both of them. They’d laughed at the unusual name together and Karrod had always assumed that some operations officer in the early days of the Federation had meant to rename the thing but had never quite gotten around to it. He looked into the face of two young men who had little conception of where their lives and careers would take them, or how it would pull their friendship apart. A trick of the light suddenly reflected his features back at him and all the years written on his face stood out in stark contrast. With a scowl he set the holo back on the shelf behind his desk and walked to the viewport, suddenly feeling every sore muscle and bruised bone with acute awareness.
He’d made a solid, if ultimately futile, effort against the days Paddwork and had some rare time in which he’d allowed himself to grow…reflective. With the ship currently riding out a mandatory quarantine period as the vessel and its crew were inspected down to the micron to make certain none of the disease they’d encountered persisted anywhere aboard, his duties were less immediately pressing. He’d found himself considering their very close brush with mortality, and the fate of those who hadn’t been as lucky as his crew had been, and it made something of him long for simpler days from long ago and even longer departed friends.
With a huff he pulled his eyes from the viewport and decided he would take this rare opportunity between crisis and responsibility to unwind, as the Division 14 specialists had all but ordered him to. He had a fine bottle of Orion delaq in his quarters that he’d been saving for a special occasion and all he needed to accompany it was a fine book and the relatively comfortable reading chair in which he’d fallen asleep more than once. With a small smile tickling up the edges of his beard he stepped down and walked into the corridor behind his office, heading for the turbolift ahead and his penultimate destination, the ship's library.
((Renaie’s Quarters, Deck 5, USS Ronin))
Renaie glanced around their new room, mentally planning places to put things when they finally had the chance to. Truth be told, it had been a long day. They had to admit, they hadn’t had the chance to stop, really, since they even arrived on the ship. oO One day you’re saying goodbye to the Astraeus, the next day you’re trying to judge the psychological conditions of away teams you’ve barely even met. Stars, this is a change. Oo Silently, the newest officer to the Ronin unzipped their bag that they had brought with them and began to place the contents into shelves and drawers that they had in their room.
Their gaze paused on some pictures that they had placed in the top part of their bag. Pictures of home, and their friends. Their crewmates from the Astraeus. oO I wonder where they are now. I hope they’re doing well. Oo Renaie looked up at the walls of their quarters that were… suspiciously plain. oO Nobody would mind if I decorated my side a little bit, would they? Oo As if knowing what she was thinking, a small set of holostickers appeared in their field of view. Picking them up and separating one from the rest, they began to stick the photos up on the wall. oO Positive memories of Melbourne & the Astraeus will always be good. Oo
Slumping onto their bed, Renaie let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding. Stars, it was good to be able to stop.
Slowly removing the small pile of physical books to place on shelving, a memory crossed their mind of seeing there was a ship library somewhere. Deck 5, if they remembered correctly. A small smile crossing their face, Renaie placed the books on the shelf before going to search.
((Short timeskip - 10 minutes later, Ship Library, Deck 5, USS Ronin))
Renaie turned into the library, eyes taking in everything. After a while, they noticed the Captain in the same room.
Shortrith: Good afternoon, Captain. Truth be told, I didn't expect to see you here.
Karrod’s smile didn’t waiver as he turned his head away from the stacks and put a finger to his lips.
Niac: Try to keep your voice down or you’ll get us both thrown out!
Karrod let the weight of the feigned threat hang in the air for a moment before chuckling and turning back to the collection.
Niac: Nice to see you finding your way around the ship, Counselor. As far as finding me here…a good book and a strong drink is a rare pleasure of mine and after our last mission, I could use both. How about you? Looking for anything in particular?
Shortrith: Not really, I’m just having a look around, as I remember seeing the library a little while ago, but this was the first chance I think I’ve got to actually look at it. And… ::looks around for a moment:: I think I will like this place. It’s nice.
Karrod chuckled and pointed towards the plush sitting chairs littered around small reading alcoves in ones and twos.
Niac: If you’re looking for a quiet spot to unwind you’ve found my favorite one on the ship. Our zen garden up in the catamaran is lovely but that running water puts me to sleep. I need to be a bit more active in my relaxation…if that makes sense.
Shrugging, he turned back towards the shelves and evaluated the spine of another volume, a philosophical treatise by Vulcan author. He moved to shift it off the shelf and discovered it was nearly ten centimeters thick and he realized with a chuckle that he’d need a grav sled to get it back to his quarters. With a shake of his head he slipped it back into its resting place and continued perusing.
Shortrith: Well… Rest is an invaluable thing after such a chaotic mission like we just had.
Nodding without looking away, his attention wandered past the spine of an Andorian romance he’d heard good things about. He nodded towards it.
Niac: I’m told ‘Warming The Ice In My Heart’ is quite good but species with less gender complexity than Andorians need a flowchart to follow the relationships. I don’t think I’ve got the patience for that just at the moment.
Shortrith: If I may ask, how are you feeling after everything that happened in the mission?
Karrod let out a small huff as he considered the simple question and its less than simple answer.
Niac: More than a bit tired…but I suspect I’m not alone in that. With any luck The Farm will live up to its reputation and everyone will get a chance to unwind while D14 clears us.
Shortrith: That's certainly understandable. Hopefully you can get a decent rest on this shore leave.
Renaie turned toward the shelf behind them, pulled out a book and turned to Niac. The specific book they pulled out was the collected verse of A. B. “Banjo” Paterson, an Australian poet and storyteller from the late 19th to early 20th century. Personally, the poems “Clancy of the Overflow” and “The Man from Snowy River” were Renaie's favourites.
Shortrith: Have you read this? I have always been interested in the works of Banjo Paterson, and I'm surprised I found it here.
Karrod’s eyebrows went up, infinitely surprised by the volumes which found its way to the shelves of this library.
Niac: I can’t say that I have. Terran poetry is somewhat hit or miss for me…although T.S. Eliot was a favorite when I was at the Academy. Admittedly…it has been quite a while. How’d you come across this?
Shortrith: As I’ve grown up on Earth, specifically Australia, I learned a lot about its history back in the late 19th and early 20th century. Including prolific poet and storyteller Banjo Paterson. My favourite poems of his, personally, are Clancy of the Overflow and The Man From Snowy River.
[TBC]
===============================
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