Captain Trake Promontory & Cmdr. Alora DeVeau - "Escape Artist"
Amanda Nordstrom
((Promontory’s Quarters, USS Thor))
Sachiko was an escape artist.
Years ago, this uncanny fact was established, and despite Alora’s many attempts, the cat somehow always managed to get out and wander around any ship or base where she was located. Eventually, the science officer just gave up. With the addition of Flora, the excursions lessened, but nevertheless, the desire to wander called to the feline and she managed to finagle her way out of Alora’s quarters.
Once out, it wasn’t that hard to go from floor to floor. Well, actually, it might seem difficult for a cat, at least by human standards, but Sachiko had many secrets about her, and her ability to get into places was just as astounding. Even more interesting, the cat seemed to have specific ideas about where she wanted to go and who she wanted to pester. In that case, it was none other than the captain of the ship.
How she got into his quarters, no one could tell. No alarms were triggered, no logs adjusted. Somehow, the cat was just there. In fact, when the captain arrived, she lay there on his couch, purring contently, eyes half closed, and once his attention was on her, she rolled over and exposed her belly, fully expecting a shower of affection coupled by many scritches.
Promontory: Reverb! Is this one of your friends?
But the gorgomon/dragonnette hybrid did not seem to be around.
Promontory: Computer, locate Reverb.
Computer: Reverb is in Pawsgaurd.
Trake ran his fingers through his hair. It had been a long shift. Technically he had given the whole ship shore leave as they were escorted back to DS14 by the Themis (and, escorted, in turn, the Syren’s Song). A good number of the crew had taken the liberty of taking their liberties to partake of the libations on the luxury cruiser, but Trake had had enough of that scene. Something about being kidnapped from there and then being forced to sing on another facsimile of a luxury cruiser made him not quite eager to take in a revue. And besides, he had work to do.
And now he wanted to do nothing more than faceplant on his bed, but first, he had to deal with the intruder.
He approached cautiously.
Promontory: Computer, identify creature on my couch.
Computer: The feline in your quarters is named ‘Sachiko’, and is owned by Commander Alora DeVeau.
Trake sighed.
Promontory: =/\= Promontory to DeVeau. I have your cat. =/\=
If Alora was surprised by the Captain’s sudden call, especially in regard to one of her feline companions, she certainly hid it well. Her voice didn’t even contain a hint of surprise. In fact, quite the opposite.
DeVeau: =/\=Ah, so that’s where she’s gone this time=/\=.
Trake tried to keep the weariness from his voice. He was a fairly indulgent boss, in his own mind, but this was supposed to be his time. And while, as the saying went, “don’t blame a cat for being a cat” it was still an interruption to his evening.
Promontory: =/\= So is this a test of my room’s security… =/\= (he looked at the pet transporter gate suspiciously) =/\= …or some sort of science experiment or something? Why isn’t the cat in your quarters or Pawsguard, for example? =/\=
He went to Sachiko and gave a few scritches under the neck as he continued his comms call.
DeVeau: =/\=She somehow managed to get out. I’ve tried many times to prevent it, and nothing seems to work. Sometimes, it’s just best to accept the inevitable. =/\=
While she could not visually be seen, the humour that laced the words, lilting upon the rise and fall of her voice, was very much indicative of her amusement.
DeVeau: =/\=And the fact that she has remained there means she likes you=/\=.
She paused for a minute before adding.
DeVeau:=/\=Either that, or she’s still trying to make up her mind.=/\=
Promontory: =/\= Alright, well, why don’t you come collect her, I have an item I actually need to discuss with you anyway. Promontory out. =/\=
Of course, Alora would go get her cat, but something told her that maybe Sachiko had gone there for a reason. The feline had proven from the very moment she was given to Alora to be quite intuitive in addition to managing to make Houdini look like an amateur. If she had gone to the captain, there might be a reason.
DeVeau: =/\= Of course. I will be there as soon as I can, but I have to get Shyla squared away. =/\=
With that, the link closed, and Alora couldn’t help but snicker softly to herself. That was the first time Sachiko had gone back to her old tricks. Well, there was nothing for it except to get to the captain but…she wasn’t going to hurry over there.
The fact was, at least an hour passed before Alora was ‘able’ to make it to Promontory’s quarters. Had she the chance, she probably would have idled even more, but the fact was, she didn’t know Trake as much as she would like to. During the last mission, she had met him face to face for the first time rather than at a distance or across the room. In addition, Alora’s initial read of him was that of a man on a mission, not of the man as he was when he was not on a mission. Well, she was glad for the opportunity to find out. So, eventually, she did make it to his quarters and pressed the little button that announced her arrival.
Promontory: Come!
The doors parted, and Alora stepped inside. Immediately, her eyes fell upon the sight within, and a grin cracked wide across her face, amusement twinkling in her eyes.
DeVeau: Well.
Trake stayed sitting as, at this point, the creature had stretched out onto his lap, keeping him on the chaise lounge.
Promontory: I think she’s made up her mind. (beat) Please, have a seat.
DeVeau: She has indeed. She definitely likes you.
Alora took the invitation seriously and crossed over to lower herself onto a chair. Leaning back in evident comfort despite the fact she faced the man who was her captain, she crossed one leg over the other, her grin shifting into a regular smile that looked armed and ready to release a volley of chuckles at the scene.
Promontory: Sasch–the former helmswoman, not this cat–has been serving as a mission specialist but is taking a position in the Academy. With the scientific complex of the Tangle and its surrounds I don’t want that position unfilled.
Well, he got straight to the point, didn’t he? Canting her head to the side, she didn’t have to guess at what the captain’s next statement was going to be.
DeVeau: And you want me to fill it.
oO Good. Oo Trake hoped the woman was as quick-witted as advertised and her anticipation of where he was going with the conversation was a good sign. If the past mission had proved anything it was that this woman belonged in the command track. And also somewhere where he could keep a closer eye on her.
Promontory: Just so.
Pursing her lips, Alora was not offended by the request, or even upset by it, but she did want to consider it carefully. In the past, she had served in other positions before, once as a doctor and once as a mission specialist, just like he was requesting she do there.
DeVeau: I have to admit, I really do like being a science officer. Especially a chief science officer.
Promontory: This new role, particularly at this time would be exceptionally science heavy. I’d expect you to regularly liaise with the Science departments, but you’d also be plugged into more of the ship’s administration and help coordinate cross-department efforts.
DeVeau: I suppose I could consider stepping into the role. It won’t be my first time.
And knowing how changeable Starfleet often was, she wouldn’t be surprised if she slipped into another role at some point in the future, though likely something related to what she did or had done in the past. Before Trake could respond, however, she lifted a hand to stop him, but her amusement wasn’t concealed at all.
DeVeau: However, I do have to think that there might be some stipulations to changing over. If you’re willing to consider them.
Trake raised an eyebrow. Was the commander attempting to extract concessions? Definitely someone he needed to bring into more command meetings. She might make a halfway decent diplomat as well…
Promontory: Such as…?
DeVeau: Well, I have to admit, I had some plans for the arboretum. I’d like them to be seriously considered, even if I’m no longer Chief Science officer. And if the next chief is willing, I’m happy to remain in charge of it for as long as they will let me.
Yes, it was a passion. Flora and fauna had drawn her into their clutches and had never let go. Oh sure, she had other passions as well, but those shone like the sun, and the only thing that dimmed it was the love she had for her daughter.
Promontory: I’ll leave you to work it out with your replacement. Speaking of which, do you have any recommendations?
That was a good question. Part of her mind went to Tito. The man had a lot of potential, but even so, he wasn’t quite there yet. Would he be? She suspected the answer would be yes, eventually, but not yet. However, there was someone else who she thought would do well in the position.
DeVeau: I don’t know her well, but from her records, I couldn’t see how Aislin Orlon would be a bad choice.
Trake nodded along. He had reviewed the personnel files and drawn similar conclusions.
Promontory: Very good, let’s plan to make that transition shortly. In the meantime, is there anything else on your list of stipulations?
DeVeau: I mean…if you’re willing to entertain more requests, I wouldn’t mind having a menagerie on board, but that might be going a bit too far.
Promontory: We have quite a few domestics on board… (he indicated the cat still on his lap, seemingly unfazed by the conversation or the appearance of her owner) but do you mean a full xenobiological zoo?
As if she knew that she was part of the conversation, Sachiko set about turning over in Trake’s lap, revealing her furry tummy for further scritching, a reminder that he should get to it. Alora chuckled softly.
DeVeau: Well….yeeeees.
But she knew very well that wasn’t realistic. It wasn’t a sincere request, but she didn’t let the captain know, because she was ever so curious to see what the man said in the face of it. Besides, it was sometimes good to have a contrast. If she asked for something too far-fetched, then her request about the Arboretum wasn’t so bad in comparison!
Promontory: I’m not opposed in principle, but I’m not sure we have the room to do it properly and I’d hate to unfairly restrain wild animals because of spacing issues.
He almost suggested the holodecks, but figured the soon-to-be mission specialist was one of those “it’s just not the same” sort of people.
Alora chuckled softly. That was far more calm of a response than she suspected some people might have given, and she shook her head.
DeVeau: I started a zoological park on Denali to help care for wounded animals and, if possible, release them back to the wild, though we mostly focused on fauna native to the ring. In this case, however…I wasn’t really serious.
Well good, thought Trake. A ship, even a large capital ship, had no space when compared with an entire ring-planet and he was glad that the soon-to-be-former science chief was willing to acknowledge some limitations.
She grinned broadly at the captain, and though it might seem their conversation was done, with the way Alora leaned back into her chair, settling herself for a longer visit, she wasn’t ready to end things.
DeVeau: Well, since you have me here, this is a good time.
Promontory: Is it? (shifting in his seat) For what?
DeVeau: To get to know one another better. Did you know we went almost an entire year without actually speaking directly to one another face to face? Our last mission was the first time. Otherwise, we have managed to merely be ships passing in the night. I tend to like to know who I’m serving under.
That was a fair point. While Trake was good just trusting his officers and giving them a fair amount of autonomy, it seemed like this one had, for one reason or another, slipped through the cracks. Perhaps it was well that she was initiating this present dialogue, it meant that perhaps she hadn’t been (purposefully) avoiding him.
Promontory: And what’s your impression thus far? Or, I suppose more to the point, what else would you like to know?
With that, Alora shifted her position, uncrossed her legs and rested both elbows upon her thoughts while she leaned forward, her gaze holding the man within its sights, as if studying him closely might reveal something he didn’t admit to.
DeVeau: So if I were to ask you, who is Trake Promontory, what would you say?
Trake ran a free hand through his hair and beard. By the powers, it was too late for this sort of conversation, at least not without some wine and eveningwear, but alas, the fact that she was asking such a question certainly told him a bit about what sort of person Alora was. He gave a Cheshire-grin.
Promontory: Well that depends entirely on who was asking and in what context. For you, now, I’d say I’m a very young old man who’s seen enough in this crazy galaxy to know I shouldn’t be surprised by anything but can’t stop continually being struck by the wonders that are still out there to discover.
It wasn’t too bad a blurb to have come up with on the spot, if he had to say so himself.
To be honest, what Trake just said could very well describe Alora. While he had a couple of years on her, her almost thirteen years in Starfleet had thrown her into a myriad of impossible situations. The most recent mission had been a good example of one.
DeVeau: In that, we are agreed, but I’d still like to know more about Trake the man beyond that.
Promontory: My early career was dominated by the Dominion War, so to speak, and my original desires for exploration and scientific discovery were shunted towards helping develop tactical applications instead. I didn’t love that, but it wasn’t just me, it was the whole Federation. The argument was then (and I still am persuaded) that if our ideals are worth anything, they’re worth fighting for and preserving. But I’m glad we’re back in a season of peace, relatively speaking.
Frontier Day, the issues with the Romulans, and other skirmishes aside.
DeVeau: Relatively.
They were no longer involved in an intergalactic war, that was certain, but there were times they had to still deal with conflict. Again, the latest mission was a good example. Fortunately, they had all survived that ordeal, though some had fared worse than others. That, too, was a common nature of missions.
Turnabout was fairplay, Trake understood.
Promontory: And what about yourself, what should I know about you that I can’t learn by reviewing your file?
DeVeau: What would you like to know?
Promontory: I understand you’re also a bit of a temporal anomaly…
Trake had spent months/years in a temporal singularity while Alora herself, as he understood it, was a walking time paradox. Something about aging backwards? A modern, living Merlin, perhaps.
Alora paused for a moment before she answered. Her condition was not widely known, but it was in a part of her file that those with certain clearance could see it. As her captain, Trake automatically had such clearance, as did Josh, and Sevantha. Likely, there were a few others on the ship that did. However, just because they could see it didn’t mean they had actually looked closely enough to notice it.
DeVeau: I see you’ve discovered my situation.
Promontory: It was a notable flag. DTI and I go way back. They tried their best to help me when my crew and I first came out of the anomaly, when the OEB rescued us…
Alora had read about that, for she actually did read the files of people she worked with. With a large crew, she didn’t take the significant time it required to read the entire crew’s information, but she always acquainted herself with the command team, science officers, and then other officers as she worked with them.
DeVeau: Yes, I read about that. It’s quite a story.
Trake grinned at that.
Promontory: Aren’t we all!?
It was an old El-Aurian proverb.
DeVeau: I actually love stories, and the stories I love most are the ones that are about real people.
As an El-Aurian, she knew he would appreciate that.
DeVeau: I would be interested in yours, if you would allow it. What’s written on the pages isn’t always the full tale.
Promontory: You’re welcome to it! It’s unclassified and I've shared it plenty usually over a good meal or at least some drinks. Is that what you’re proposing tonight?
Alora didn’t respond right away, but her eyes sought more information, information that wasn’t available through his words. From her chair, she watched him, her gaze unwavering. Once again, he received her study, an interest that she didn’t have to voice. They could have continued. She could have requested it. Possibly, he would have even indulged him, but somewhere, in between the lines, she saw something, even if he didn’t bring a voice to it.
DeVeau: No. Your story’s too long for now. Perhaps we can make some time in the next few days. We can grab a meal together. Perhaps with Shyla, if you don’t mind her company.
If he had read her file, then he knew who Shyla was. Smiling, rose to her feet and angled around the chair.
The man gave her a nod. Kids were great. As long as they were clean.
DeVeau: I’ll send you my availability.
Promontory: And will you take this one with you?
He picked up the ball of fluff and extended it to the departing woman.]
Pausing just before the door, Alora turned. Sachiko remained in his hands, her purr as loud as a motor on an ancient machine from earth. Twisting her body, she managed to wriggle out of the man’s hands, but only to turn around, jump back up beside him, and flop against his leg, head rubbing against him. The scientist giggled softly.
DeVeau: I think she thinks you need her more than I do right now. If you let her be, she’ll find her way home when she’s ready. If you want to try and put her outside, I suspect you’ll find her right back where she started. Somehow, she has a way of doing that.
She paused again, her head tilting to the side.
DeVeau: Maybe some day I’ll learn her story too.
With a wave, Alora turned. The doors parted, and closed behind her, leaving the room in silence save for the low, rumbling purr of the feline.
Promontory: (to the cat) We’ll definitely need to keep more of an eye on that one. Now let’s get you some food for yourself lest Reverb gets jealous when she gets back.
[end]
****
Captain Trake Promontory
Commanding Officer
USS Thor
O239910AP4
&&
Commander Alora DeVeau Chief Science Officer USS Thor & Matriarch of the 15th House Betazed M239008AD0
