JP: Ensign Alyndra (Santa) Syrex & Ensign (Elf) T’Fearne: The Xmas Special [Part 3]
Alyndra Syrex
After a quick stop at Sickbay for an analgesic to treat Alyndra’s glowing face, most of the rooms had been either open or unlocked. Easy enough for them to place the packages neatly inside the door or on a nearby chair. The crew whose duty schedule indicated they were likely sleeping in their quarters would find a small colourfully wrapped gift in front of their doorway as they left for their shift or at their duty station when they arrived.
They hadn’t been seen by too many people. Most of the crew looked busy and focused on their tasks in the middle of the night shift, they hadn’t seemed to notice the brightly coloured, softly jingling beings and their floating vehicle, burdened with colourful gifts. Most just blinked their tired eyes and assumed they had let their minds wander into dreaming for a moment.
As they neared the door of Dekas’s quarters, Alyndra slowed her pace, rifling through the stretcher's diminishing load. The lights in the hallway seemed to flicker faintly overhead, casting an almost ghostly glow on the walls, making the whole atmosphere feel like something out of a dreamy winter tale.
T’Fearne::: Checking the published duty roster:: He’s on duty shift right now. We won’t disturb him.
Seeing the specially hand-picked gift in Alyndra’s hands, T’Fearne sent off another quick message, again unbeknownst to Alyndra.
Syrex: Lovely to know! Very Efficient! So why’s the door not opening?
T’Fearne: One moment. :: long fingers tapping on the PADD:: It takes as long as it takes, Santa…I mean Syrex.
Syrex: Ho Ho Ho… So I’m assuming you’re using your clearance code?
T’Fearne: No, I’m bypassing security altogether. It’s quicker and less hassle this way. Don’t worry about it.
Syrex: Well… Alright then
The PADD in T’Fearnes hand emitted another soft chirp, and she easily opened the door to the Commander’s quarters.
Dekas’s quarters felt like stepping into a world of jungle frivolity—filled with lush greenery, warmth, and a riotous display of colourful chaos. The air was warmer here, not unpleasantly so, but enough to make the skin feel damp as if the room was its own little pocket of rainforest. It was significantly warmer than most of the rest of the ship—enough to remind the ensigns’ that Commander Dekas had come from a tropical planet where heat and moisture were part of his natural habitat.
The bed looked less like a traditional bed and more like an inviting nest of pillows and plush comforters, something that Dekas had clearly created for personalised comfort and relaxation.
One of the pillows stood out to Alyndra with familiar fabric and stitching.
Syrex: Aw, Dekas really did want a cushion!
T’Fearne: What’s that?
Syrex: Oh over our stay at DS9 back in the day we bumped into each other. He was frantic about getting cushions, so I recommended popping into Garaks to see if there were any made from the off-cuts.
T’Fearne: You went shopping with the Commander! At Garaks! :: slanted brows climbing up her forehead:: Did you have to make a reservation?
Syrex: With Dekas or at the shop?
T’Fearne: Er, for Garaks, though I suppose you would make an appointment with the Commander too.
Syrex: Oh right. Nah we just waltzed in, couldn’t you get in?
T’Fearne::: negative head shake:: My mother sent me a request when she found out I was…alive after the battle with the Lattice Alliance at 33, and the Ronin was temporarily docked at DS9 for repairs. She asked me to try to get her a garment handmade at Garaks and have it shipped to her, but when I asked, they said no walk-ins, it was a 12-week waiting list, and you have to be there in person for the fitting. You must have gone in on a quiet day.
Syrex: Or it may have been the fitting that threw them off, we were just browsing the store's general section
T’Fearne: Yeah, I suppose so.
As the costumed officers walked further into the room, they took in the eclectic décor. A mixture of taxidermy bugs pinned to the walls, their delicate wings and legs frozen in mid-motion. Iridescent beetles, and what appeared to be a species of large, brightly-coloured mosquito. It was clear that the Commander had cultivated an environment that suited his personality—bright, warm, and unapologetically unique.
Alyndra thought that if a bug were to walk in here, it would see this place as the unexpected love child of a house of horrors and a morgue, complete of course with screeching violins as the door opened. She hoped Dekas wasn’t thinking of bringing any (insectoid) Xindi back to his place.
T’Fearne looked at the incubation device containing the large egg that she remembered seeing for the first time when she had administered the Commander's recertification interview and several more times on occasion since. The shell looked strong, slightly shiny under the soft heat of a lamp.
T’Fearne: How about there, next to the nest?
Syrex: Oh, I have something special for the egg. I’ll put his present on… His desk.
Alyndra placed a beautifully wrapped box on the desk of her counsellor friend. For his eggy child, she placed a smiling teddy bear adorned with a bright red bow against the eggshell. Knowing that, along with her father's love, they’d have something to snuggle with from day one.
They left the room quietly, careful not to disturb the warmth of the room and the life it nurtured, both plant and creature alike.
The door hissed shut behind them. T’Fearne regarded Alyndra. They had delivered about a third of the parcelled toys, and the determined Trill showed no signs of stopping or second thoughts about their task. Alyndra had a beaming smile on her face and an emotional aura of equal parts joy and mischief emanating from her.
T’Fearne: You’re really committed to this, aren’t you?
Syrex: ::Smiling towards T’Fearne:: To see the smiles on the faces of the crew, of course I am.
As the jolly Santa impersonator trundled along to her next delivery, T’Fearne didn’t really want to suppress the grin of fondness for her friend. She was impressed at her thoughtfulness and determination. Life had been increasingly interesting with her new friends aboard the Ronin. With the stress of the previous mission recent in all their minds, it was good to be doing something spontaneous and lighthearted.
((0430 hours, Christmas Morning))((Outside Alieth’s Quarters, Section 3, Deck 14, USS Ronin))
After T’Fearne’s now suspicious and yet unrevealed message and wait routine, entry to the room was granted with a soft hiss, revealing a space that, to anyone who hadn’t visited it before, felt like stepping into another world entirely. Unlike the colourful vibrance of Commander Dekas or the dark and luxuriousness of Commander Luxa’s quarters there was little warmth here, no extravagant furnishings or distracting colours. A lacquered box rested atop an antique-looking coffee or tea table, and an ornate vulcan wall hanging furnished the bulkhead. It was sparse and minimalistic, and yet there was a quiet elegance to the space, interrupted only by the incongruity of the kingsized animal bed and an array of giant colourful toys strewn around it.
T’Fearne stared in astonishment at the unusual sleeping arrangement. Not what she would have pictured of the petite Vulcan, and then she noticed the second bed, clearly for a bipedal being and breathed a sigh of relief.
T’Fearne: Ah, it’s for Cheesecake.
Syrex: Or perhaps Alieth has a side none of us know of? I could totally see her rocking a dog bed!
T’Fearne::: shaking away the mental image of the Ronin’s CSO curled up in the dog bed:: Nope, just no.
In the far corner of the room, there was a meditation area. A soft mat lay on the floor, facing a large starboard side window that gave a view of the endless space beyond. That corner of the room felt still, serene as if inviting contemplation and peace. Nearby, an array of succulents, cacti, and small flowering plants in neatly arranged pots sat in the soft glow of grow lamps.
Syrex: Dang, just looking at this room makes me think we’re going the wrong way about decorating our quarters
T’Fearne: Ok, we definitely need to redecorate.
A low huff erupted from the floor on the hidden side of the kingsized dog bed, and the ensigns’ froze in their movements. A giant golden paw and tail stretched out from behind the bed. A deep sigh and a sleepy wuff emanated from the creature, but it seemed to remain asleep and continued to breathe deeply.
Syrex: Ok, slowly and surely… Most importantly ::whispers:: quietly. Step out and leave the gifts just inside the door.
The gifts consisted of one large vertically aligned rectangular box, adorned with blue paper, printed with the Starfleet Delta dotted around. With one smaller toy, left unwrapped of a plushie that looked just like Cheesecake herself.
The tall imposter elf felt the corner of her mouth pull in a smile again as they backed out of the room as quietly as they could and closed the doors, leaving the gifts behind with the snoring Pyrenees.
T’Fearne: I think the 2XO will appreciate the thoughtfulness, and CC will probably love it.
Syrex: I don’t know if she can appreciate it, but hopefully, at the very least she won’t press charges.
T’Fearne: I think it will be fine.
((Corridor outside Turbolift, Section 1, Deck 14, USS Ronin))
The corridor remained quiet, the only sound the muted hum of the ship’s engines as the bright red and green-clad officers made their way back towards the turbo-lift. The grav stretcher, now empty save for T’Fearne’s PADD, floated lazily behind them, its once colourful load fully depleted, its tasks complete.
T’Fearne tapped the call button for the lift. As they waited, a soft chirp from the PADD, resting on the stretcher between them broke the quiet. An acknowledgement from Chief Carpenter and another from Commander Alieth was visible for a moment on the screen. This clearly caught Alyndra’s attention.
Syrex: Hey, T’Fearne. What’s… What’s going on?
The security officer crossed her arms, looking at the PADD with the offending message requests and their responses. T’Fearne was quiet for a moment and then responded, voice remaining calm.
T’Fearne: It’s just an acknowledgement from my CO.
Syrex: I didn’t realise you were a science officer, there was clearly a message from Alieth there. What have you been doing? Have you been sending messages to the whole crew all night?!
The turbo-lift arrived, and the doors opened, waiting for them expectantly, but neither ensign moved.
T’Fearne::: Lifting chin:: I messaged the crew that you wanted to leave gifts inside their rooms. I wanted to make sure we weren't disturbing anyone or invading their privacy without permission.
Syrex: I… I understand why you did that and am grateful that you were thinking about that. But I really wish you’d mentioned this earlier. Santa is supposed to be an entity, not tied to any one person. I really wanted this to be anonymous. We could have found another way if we’d worked together on this issue. I’m kinda upset you didn’t work with me on this.
T’Fearne winced, a flicker of distress lurking in her dark eyes. From their close positions, a coil of emotion twisted off the trill and lashed at her. She hadn’t meant to make Alyndra feel betrayed. She felt a dull ache begin to throb at her temple.
T’Fearne: I wasn’t trying to ruin your plans, Alyndra. I just wanted to make sure it went well. :: softly:: I was trying to help.
Syrex: ::In the same soft tone:: I… I know T’Fearne ::her voice becoming obviously sadder::
The Trill pushed forward with the grav stretcher into the patiently waiting lift and triggered the doors to close.
T’Fearne: Alyndra, wait. I’m sorry. :: sincerely:: I didn’t mean to make it feel less special.
The turbolift doors swished shut, leaving them separated, T’Fearne on Deck 14 as Alyndra sped upwards through the ship.
[TBC in Part 4]
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Ensign Alyndra Syrex
Medical Officer
USS Ronin (NCC-34523)
R240107AS3
&
Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14