Ens. Arthur Strathmore & Cmdr. Alora DeVeau - "Reconnection"
Amanda Nordstrom
OOC:
Another in a series of things Alora did during shore leave.
They aren't necessarily in order. :-D
IC:
((Kalaw’s Klingon Kitchen, Promenade, Deep Space 9))
Strathmore: Personal Log, Stardate 240303.14. After visiting my mother on Bajor, I set up a meeting with Commander DeVeau aboard Deep Space 9. It’ll be good to have lunch with an old friend. I need to ask her some questions regarding the future of my career. There were some dramatic happenings during my return to the Academy. She’ll be helpful in advising me on what to do next.
Arthur was already at a table. He sat there taking in the red glow of the Klingon ambiance. This was a nostalgic place for him. He had fond memories of his stepfather taking him here as a child whenever he was on shoreleave. Arthur eyed the menu. Right now, Arthur was in the midst of a classic conundrum; did one choose the dish they knew they like or try something new? Arthur always chose the racht, but maybe…
That’s when he noticed a shadow over his menu.
DeVeau: Hello Arthur!
Strathmore: Commander! ::he stood to shake her hand:: It has been much too long. Please, sit, sit.
A wide grin spread across Alora’s face and she slid into a seat across from the man. Arthur had left Denali Station a couple of years prior. Thanks to life intervening, she had done a terrible job of keeping up with him, but was very happy to hear from him when she received a message. Taking the opportunity once they were close to the wormhole, Alora made a hop, skip, and a jump over to Deep Space 9 to meet with her friend.
DeVeau: It’s good to see you! How are you?
Strathmore: I’m quite well, thank you for asking. I actually got to visit my mother in Jalenda City too, so good times had by all.
DeVeau: It’s always good to reconnect with family.
Alora herself had a close relationship with her own family, both parents, and all four of her brothers. Well…sort of. Three of them she could definitely say she was close to, and technically, she was close to Adrian as well, but he was gone for so long, they didn’t usually see each other very often.
Strathmore: I really appreciate you coming to meet with me and in person as well. I abhor inconveniencing people.
DeVeau: It’s not an inconvenience. I enjoy travelling when I get the chance.
Later, she’d meet up with Bini and they’d likely go down and visit Bajor before returning to the the station, but for now, she would enjoy a nice meal.
DeVeau: So how have you been Arthur? You left so suddenly. I’m sorry I wasn’t better about keeping in touch.
That was one of the things that had been pushed aside once Shyla was born. As much as Alora tried to keep up with all her friends and connections, they heard from her less over the last couple of years.
Strathmore: No need to apologize, I should have been better. I just had to leave. I wasn’t cutting it.
DeVeau: Do you mind talking about it?
Arthur didn’t mind talking about it, but it was all so…
Strathmore: The mission to Menlale was a disaster for me. I was told as much. I needed to go back to the Academy and learn some more practical skills.
Alora arched an eyebrow. While Strathmore had indeed struggled, she didn’t necessarily agree with that assessment. However, she was not the commanding officer.
DeVeau: Ouch. So…what things did you work on?
Strathmore: Intel, tactical, survival, law, stuff that can make me more useful and shore up my inadequacies.
Everyone had talents and skills. Everyone had virtues and flaws. People weren’t good at everything, and Alora knew everyone had ways they could improve. Her eyes drifted to the collar and the pips…or rather pip…upon it.
DeVeau: And…your rank?
Arthur clutched at his new uniform. The pips that were once on his chest, were now on his neck. Where he once had two, he now had one.
Strathmore: Oh, this? That's another story entirely.
Tilting her head, Alora did not think anything less of Arthur. If anything, he had raised in esteem, for he admitted he needed to improve. Some people couldn’t see their flaws. Not him, he sought to fix them.
DeVeau: If you want to talk about that, I’m all ears. If not, I shan’t press.
Even if Alora was terribly curious.
Strathmore: No, no, it's fine, I’ll tell you… It was a nightmare.
Nightmares were terrible things, but the worst were the ones that happened in real life. A frown turned down the corners of Alora’s mouth and she shifted, one leg hooking over the other as she focused even more intensely on her companion.
DeVeau: What happened?
Arthur groaned. It was all so embarrassing and terrible.
Strathmore: Back at the Academy, I was given the honor of being an attache to Vice Admiral Freund. I was shadowing him for the additional command classes I was taking. Do you know him?
Shaking her head, Alora couldn’t say she did. She knew of him, but even that knowledge was limited, and only because she’d read a few reports with his name on it. Nothing gave any indication to the man himself.
DeVeau: I don’t.
Strathmore: Well, the man guzzles down coffee, so I was constantly getting it for him. I noticed that his personal replicator was on the fritz, but he told me to disregard it. He wanted coffee and he wanted it now. Well, the coffee kept getting hotter and hotter until the final replication was boiling. I grabbed the cup, but it burned my hand. In my panic, I threw it into the air and all over the Admiral. He was admitted to sickbay with second degree burns all over him.
Arthur put his face in his hands. Yet another blunder…
Staring, Alora tried to picture that in her head, and as she did, she internally laughed. Thankfully, she had enough background as an amateur thespian she was able to carefully school her features and they remained as solemn as ever. Obviously, second degree burns were no joke, and the image in her head didn’t really match the severity or seriousness of the actual event.
DeVeau: And he demoted you?
Strathmore: Yes.
Leaning back into her chair, Alora narrowed her eyes. Yes, it was unfortunate, but it was an accident, something that could indeed happen to anyone. Even her.
DeVeau: Of all the stupid things…
Strathmore: You’re telling me.
Shaking her head, Alora irritatedly tapped her finger with every syllable as she spoke.
DeVeau: You made a mistake, but that wasn’t the sort of thing that should have taken away a pip!
But that mistake did take away a pip and set him back to the beginning of a Starfleet career. Arthur Strathmore was an Ensign again. It was his great shame. Though he supposed it could have been a lot worse.
Strathmore: It is what it is, thankfully I have someone who took a chance on me.
Arthur removed his hands from his face, sighed, and sat up straighter in his seat.
His words were rather cryptic, but not in a menacing way. Arching an eyebrow, Alora looked at him expectantly.
DeVeau: Who?
Arthur smiled.
Strathmore: Captain Isara Aleron. She said if I prove myself that I’ll get my rank back.
It was a promise that kept Arthur’s spirits up.
Canting her head to the side, Alora siphoned through her memories. The name sounded familiar, likely from reports she might have skimmed, or news articles - the Federation news service covered a lot of people and topics. She hadn’t ever met the woman, though.
DeVeau: She’s captain of the Valkyrie?
Strathmore: Yes, the Valkyrie.
Arthur had never been assigned to a starship before. He had a fondness for stations, they just felt more homey for obvious reasons, but he couldn’t deny that he was quite excited about exploring the Beta Quadrant.
DeVeau: Good. I’m glad. I would have done the same.
Alora was not a captain. She’d been approached about the possibility, but was far too happy where she was to accept. At some point, maybe she would take the chair - or Starfleet might lovingly force her to - but at the moment, she focused on being a science officer and a mom.
Strathmore: Thank you. That is kind of you to say.
DeVeau: It’s not the end of the world, and I’m glad your captain has some sense. How do you like the Valkyrie so far?
Change could be difficult, and Arthur had endured a difficult change already. However, since his captain was supportive, she hoped that the change of ship was a positive one.
Strathmore: I like it. It’s a pretty ship. I’m not used to ships compared to stations.
DeVeau: Tell me about her and her crew. I know Aine is posted there.
Gosh, it had been a long time since she’d talked to Aine - far too long. In the back of her mind, Alora made a note to reconnect with her old colleague and see how she was doing.
As the ship’s counselor, Arthur had performed the due diligence as he felt was required of him to read up on the full roster of crew members aboard the Valkyrie.
Strathmore: Yes, Commander Aine Sherlock. Quite the esteemed career.
Arthur had yet to have a formal sit down with Commander Sherlock. It was something he hoped to remedy.
DeVeau: Yes. I’m proud of her, she’s gone far.
And Alora expected to see the woman go even further. Perhaps she’d be at the head of a ship - she wouldn’t be surprised at all.
Strathmore: There are a few from Denali Station too. Vaysha Lennai was transferred there at the same time I was. Ghee’looth Xiron was already aboard.
Arthur was lucky to have some familiar faces on board with him. It made the readjustment easier.
At the familiar names, Alora’s face lit up with recognition. She was glad to know Xiron was back - she was a good officer..
DeVeau: I’m glad to hear that!
Strathmore: How is your ship? The Thor?
Arthur didn’t know much about that ship except it was Vesta class. He thought that class was rather pretty.
Leaning back in her chair, Alora considered the question. Although she had been asked that on more than one occasion, she did have to think about it. After all, she’d been from one place to another her entire career.
DeVeau: It’s good.
She stated finally, smiling at the man across the table.
DeVeau: I’ve yet to meet the captain in person. We’ve had a couple of comm calls, and I’ve sent reports, but I actually haven’t physically met him or spoken to him yet.
Arthur laughed at that.
Strathmore: That’s pretty funny actually.
DeVeau: We just keep missing each other.
Shrugging, Alora considered the various situations she’d found herself. Just when she thought that she might finally get to meet the other Promontory brother, something came up. Her most recent trip, for example.
Strathmore: Well, you’ll meet eventually.
DeVeau: I won’t meet him any time soon. I’m actually headed to the Delta Quadrant, so I’ll be gone for about four months between that and a trip to Betazed.
That was a long time, but it had to be done, and thus far, she’d managed to balance everything. Hopefully she could take a look at that colony and see how it was faring.
The Delta Quadrant was a place he had never been before. Honestly, to him it might as well have been the edge of the known universe.
Strathmore: The Delta Quadrant and Betazed? Quite the trip.
DeVeau: A friend is getting promoted, but my house also has some invested interest in a colony there, so I’ll kill two birds with one stone.
Strathmore: Ah, who’s getting promoted?
DeVeau: Commander Wil Ukinix is becoming captain.
Strathmore: Congratulations.
Alora giggled a little. She would pass along those congratulations though it sounded like he was congratulating her instead.
DeVeau: I’m also spending a couple of weeks on Denobula visiting a friend. Betazed will only get me for a couple of days to take care of some business.
Which was a shame. Even without her marriage, Alora loved Betazed, and surely it was a lovely place to call home. In truth, it very much was her home now, more than even Earth. She knew Betazed was her future.
The Klingon waiter finally made his way to their table. He towered over them.
Waiter: Nuq DaSop? (What will you be eating?)
Arthur didn’t know much Klingon other than menial phrases, but he could catch the gist of what their waiter was saying.
Strathmore: Do you know what you want?
DeVeau: Yep.
Turning to the Klingon, she looked the waiter straight in the eye, her voice turning into a lower, rougher version of itself.
DeVeau: Krada 'elpI' braed 'ej grapok.
Arthur’s eyes flashed back to the menu
Strathmore: Ah, a great choice.
DeVeau: What about you?
Arthur handed his menu to the waiter.
Strathmore: Just racht for me. Thank you.
With their orders in, they were left alone while the food was prepared. Leaning back in her chair, lightly studying the man across from her.
DeVeau: So, despite the demotion, how does it feel getting back to things? Do you feel better prepared?
Strathmore: Oh, definitely. I feel… confident, which is honestly a strange thing for me to say.
Arthur laughed at his own words.
DeVeau: But a good thing though. Arthur had been reticent as an officer, not in regards to engaging with other officers, but in performing his duty. As a counsellor, Alora had found him easy to talk to, but acting as an officer in Starfleet…well, there were times reality was a lot harder and scarier, even if the Academy did its best to prepare its cadets.
DeVeau: So what at the Academy helped you gain more confidence?
Strathmore: Oh, I went back for an Intel certification. Which actually brings us to something I wanted to talk to you about.
DeVeau: Oh really?
He had mentioned Intel among the other things he went to further his education on, but obviously, that had been more of a focus than she thought.
Strathmore: How do I make the most out of this certification?
That was a big question. While Alora had never specifically served in the Intelligence department, she had worked with other officers from that duty post. As a missions specialist, she had also utilised similar skills in some ways.
DeVeau: To be honest, I think your counselling skills come in handy there.
Strathmore: You do?
Both hands lifted, her right hand ticking off the fingers in her left.
DeVeau: Listening is vital. Thinking about information you’ve received is vital. Considering options is vital. Clear communication is vital. Counsellors often notice patterns, and Intelligence officers need to notice them too, just with situations, not just people. Also, Counsellors are trained to sometimes ‘poke holes’ in people’s justifications and statements they make. In Intelligence, you have to do that, but with even more intensity.
Arthur crewed on what the Commander said. She was right. They were two sides of the same coin. Both posts used psychology, just in different ways.
Strathmore: I never thought about it like that.
DeVeau: Are you planning to switch to the Intelligence department?
Maybe he wasn’t. At that moment, Arthur still wore blue, but it was possible he could make a change, especially after getting certification and more education at the Academy before returning to duty.
It was another idea Arthur had never had. His whole purpose in going back to the Academy was to become more useful, not to change his career.
Strathmore: It hasn’t crossed my mind. I didn’t want to be a liability… like before.
At that point, the waiter returned with their food and laid their meals out before them. Alora grunted her thanks, and the waiter retreated.
DeVeau: I don’t think you are a liability or ever were. However, don’t rule out your abilities. You could do quite well in Intelligence, I imagine.
Arthur couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed so antithetical to who he was.
Strathmore: Could you imagine me conducting espionage? Oh my, Prophets help the Federation in that case.
Alora smirked. A lot of people didn’t understand what Intelligence really involved, and espionage was often considered part of it. The fact was, Alora knew Intelligence acted with authority, not without, and if they did so against authority, then that was a problem.
DeVeau: There’s more to it than covert ops.
Strathmore: Oh sure, but I want to help people.
If Alora wanted to be stubborn, she could certainly make the case that becoming an Intelligence Officer was helping people. They did vital work in Starfleet, and had prevented many deaths and attacks in their line of work. During the Dominion war, they had discovered and transmitted valuable information. Most of the time, she knew it was mainly analysis of information that came their way. However, she knew that it really wasn’t the time or place for such an argument. Arthur knew what he wanted.
DeVeau: I understand that, and I know whatever you do, you will help people.
Strathmore: Thank you. Hopefully, anyway.
Arthur picked up a writhing racht worm and consumed it. Despite its appearance, it was quite delicious. Looks in this case were most certainly deceiving.
DeVeau: Give yourself some credit. You weren’t invaluable before you left, and you are invaluable now. I have faith in you.
Leaning forward, Alora jabbed a finger at the man across from her.
DeVeau: Have some faith in yourself.
The Commander’s kindness gave Arthur a second wind of sorts. He would do great things on the Valkyrie. He would bring great things into existence with the deep well of tenacity that grew within him.
Strathmore: I owe you much. You were the first senior officer to believe in me. I won’t let you down.
DeVeau: I know you won’t.
******************
Ensign Arthur Strathmore
Counselor
USS Valkyrie, NCC-76418-A
D240012AS1
&
-- Commander Alora DeVeau Chief Science Officer USS Thor & Matriarch of the 15th House Betazed M239008AD0
