Says You

Posted on Fri Apr 22nd, 2011 @ 12:11pm by Lieutenant JG Malia Jacy

Mission: Episode 2.1 - "Unanswered Questions"
Location: Orient Express; USS Pandora
Timeline: Shoreleave Day 6, 1622

ON: [[Orient Express, Day 6, 1622]]



Terry had set the time at 1630…just thirty minutes from now. He wasn’t thinking and should’ve scheduled it later. He finished reading the afternoon patrol report, when a crewman brought in a few PADD’s with some last minute paperwork. He had been late for their last meeting and didn’t want to be that way for this one. He scanned them to find that they were all only leave requests. It could wait till morning. Besides, they had waited this late in the day to submit it, they could wait a little longer. He stacked them on the left side of his desk for first thing the next morning. Terry left the office and went to his quarters.

He just tossed his uniform on the bed and quickly put on a pair of pants and a t-shirt. He checked the chronometer in the wall before dashing out the door. He had fifteen minutes to make it to the pylon where the Pandora was docked and find the lounge.



After getting directions, and some odd looks, from a few Ensigns, he decided that he would introduce himself as Major Walsh the next time he visited a starship in his civvies. He had a few minutes to catch his breath before entering the Lounge. This could be like the last time when Terry had to search the place over for Velia. He didn’t expect her to be waving him over or even sitting at a noticeable table. This time, he decided to take a different approach.

The opening of the lounge door had caused Greg (NPC) to look up from the glass he had just finished wiping out in time to see an unfamiliar individual pause momentarily in the doorway before making his way toward the bar. This stranger certainly wasn't one of the regulars and Greg wasn't even sure if he recognized the man as being a member of the Pandora's crew at all.

Terry walked in and up to the bar. “I’m looking for Ensign Moretti. She around?”
"I just saw her, actually," Greg replied, scanning the usual afternoon crowd with his eyes until he caught sight of the ensign seated a small table situated in the far corner, "There she is...right over by the last viewport."

“Thanks.” Terry walked over to the table.

“Still choosing the far corner of places, I see?"

Velia glanced up when she felt eyes on her and managed a passable smile at the major. "It suits me," she informed him and pushed out the chair across from her with the toe of her boot.

Terry grabbed the chair and sat down. "Thanks. You having lemon water again?"

Nope," the ensign held up her glass of dark liquid. "Tea."

"You're just full of surprises, Velia."

"I would have waited, if I had known you'd be on time," 'or show up at all' Velia added inwardly. She glanced over to see one of the waitstaff already headed their way. "I know that must have been a long arduous walk, but I don't think you'll have to wait long."

"A slow run...well, maybe more of a jog, actually. I didn't want to be late this time. I've gotta fix that marred pilot image. But you should've seen the looks I got coming on board a ship that I wasn't stationed on while looking like this." Terry wasn't going to have the normal thing. He was a little warm after that jog to have coffee and wine was out of the question because he wanted to keep his wits about him. It wouldn't look too good for a visiting officer to wind up tipsy.

"What do you have on this ship that's cold and non-tipsy?" he asked Velia.

"Tea," Velia smiled wryly. "Or lemon water." Now it was just a smirk. "Ships have the same replicator technology as your precious starbase. You can get almost anything from Greg over there."

“Smart-aleck,” replied Terry, returning her smirk. “I see your penance hasn’t affected your wit at all.”

The ensign sipped her tea and watched Walsh silently for a moment. He did seem a little less hard around the edges in his civvie clothes. Velia couldn't help but be comforted by the fact, however, that he still sat with the ramrod straight posture befitting an officer in uniform. It made her respect him a little more.

The waitress approached the table and Terry looked up. “I’ll have what she’s slurping down.” Turning his attention back to Velia, he said, “Is it always this dead in here?”

“Sometimes I guess,” Velia shrugged. “Would you be surprised to find I don’t come in here often?” Taking the high road, the ensign ignored the ‘slurping’ comment. “Not really my style.”

“It’s probably due to shoreleave. Very few people choose to stay onboard a ship when that happens.” He paused, considering her statement. “Well if the Lounge isn’t your style, what is? I mean, this place is pretty much the center of most officer’s worlds when off duty.”

"I prefer some place quieter," Velia admitted, not actually answering his question. Then this was going to turn into a conversation and all Velia was really interested in (so far as she would admit to herself) is why he was here in the first place.

“Quiet? Seriously? What in the world could get more quieter than a ship on shoreleave?”

"Yes, quieter. The library, if you must know." Consent opened the door for return - maybe she'd get to the bottom of this yet.

Walsh tilted his head, “Hmm. The library.” Terry looked up to see the waitress set his glass of tea down. He nodded and took a sip.

“Pffft!” He spit the tea right out. “Where’s the sugar? This stuff is straight tea.”

"It's what she has," the waitress shrugged.

Terry looked at Velia. “This is the kind of tea you were drinking?”

Velia nodded. "I enjoy it. Plain, straight, unpretentious. It's exactly what it claims to be."

“Yeah, I suppose I should’ve asked for sweet.” He turned to the waitress. “How about some sweet tea instead?”

The waitress nodded, smiled, picked up his glass and made her way back to the bar.

Velia smiled smally and took a long sip from her glass.

Terry shook his head and leaned back. “So, what exactly happened in Captain Iluvar’s office? Did he give you a good lecture about flying fighters or what?”

"He just requested that next time I get into a fighter, I brush up on the controls first." Now Velia really did grin. "So when's my next lesson?"

“Oh, you want another lesson, do you? Well, first we need to get you through a couple days worth of basic flight controls for fighters, then two or three more days of console and control recognition, and then another three days of simulation in the holo-suite. Oh, and now we’ve got to do a preliminary psych evaluation to make sure you’re mentally fit. None of which I am allowed to vouch for. You still want to have another lesson?”

Velia visibly shuddered at the mention of a psych evaluation. "I'll pass," she returned dryly. "What about you. Is coming here part of your civil service?"

“Nah. Commander Richardson told me to make sure that anyone that was not a fighter pilot or who did not know how to fly a fighter received all the proper training prior to doing so. Part of my civil service is going to those counseling sessions I mentioned and doing some extra duty for maintenance down in the hangars. I came here to make sure I didn’t get you into too much trouble.” He paused. “That, and to make sure there were no hard feelings. I really hate it when it’s my fault for getting a person called before their CO.”

"Why would there be hard feelings?" Velia blinked and sat her glass down.

“I got you in trouble, didn’t I? I mean, I know this restriction is self-imposed, but you didn’t get any kind of a bad comment or anything on your record? I thought there might be hard feelings because your record may have been marred because of me.”

"No, of course not. Captain Iluvar was more understanding than he needed to be, really." Velia shook her head. "I learned my lesson, and he knows it."

“Good, I’m glad to hear that.” He took a very long drink of the sweet tea that had been brought to him a few minutes ago. “Well, I’ve learned what I came here to learn. If we’re okay, then I guess this whole thing is settled and I can be on my way back to the Starbase. We are okay, right?”

"As okay as we need to be, I guess." Velia finished her tea and glanced up at Walsh. "That's really why you came here?"

“Yeah that’s why I came here. I like to do things face-to-face, mono y mono.”

"Well, it just seems like we've covered this during your inopportune communication the other day." Velia's gaze was suspicious.

Terry sat up a little straighter. “Well I’m sorry that my communication was inopportune for you. But let me just tell you a little something about myself. My only concern was that nothing was left unfinished. I don't like to leave loose ends in anything, missions or friendships. I only came for a face-to-face to find out that everything was alright between the two of us and that there was nothing left that I might have to help patch up. I watch out for my comrades in arms and my friends, especially my friends.” He stopped for a second to let that sink in. “You may not like that, but that’s how it is. Deal with it.” He sat back and interlaced his fingers behind his head. “Trust me, Velia, there’s no hidden agenda. What you see is what you get.” He smiled. Not wryly, but kindly.

"Easy to say, harder to believe." Velia prided herself on her honest nature, but that may have been the most upfront she'd been since coming aboard the Pandora. It felt stark, at the very least. "And you'd be amazed at how many people say it without knowing what it really means." She stood, looking down at the major. "In my world, friendship is something that is earned with more than a pit stop in a lounge for an apology that we both know you don't really owe. So yes, we're fine; I can say that with certainty. Friends though? I don't know Terry."

Terry had finished his tea and set his glass down. “For you, perhaps.” He looked up at her. “I’m satisfied that we’re fine. But you want to know about the real me? About how I know what it really means? Read up on my past mission reports and find the people I mention. Talk to them. I’d recommend you to the best man in the entire Federation and the only real confidant I ever had, Captain Mark Shelby, Starfleet Marine Corp, but he’s dead. Gave his life to save mine. Taught me what real friendship is about and how to really look out for your own.”

He stood and looked Velia square in the eyes. “When it’s time, I’ll earn it. And you will know it. But until then, like it or not, I’ve got your back. In my world, most people must earn friendship as well. But there are a select few to whom I freely give it for no reason other than I choose them. Consider yourself one of the chosen few. Slán go fóill, Velia.” Terry turned to leave.

“Addio per ora, Major.” Velia returned to her seat, studying Terry’s retreating back. How was it the strangest people she’d met in space … kept turning out to be human? He’d given her much to consider, though. Velia found the longer she was away from Italy, the harder it became to hold on to the things she’d known were true back then. Her eyes returned to gaze out of the viewport before she really started to think about what losing those preconceptions would mean.

Terry stopped for a second, briefly memorizing what Velia had just said so he could look it up when he got back. He continued walking and pondering. If that young woman would just learn to relax a bit and believe what people say, she just might have more friends. But then, that was probably part of the training she’d received in Starfleet Intelligence. Those Intel officers were private and secluded no matter where they served. At any rate, Terry had been honest in everything he said. Everything.

OFF:

A JP

by

Ensign Velia Moretti (PNPC)
Intelligence Officer
USS Pandora
Played by: Lt. JG Malia Jacy

and

Greg Letsky (PNPC)
Orient Express Staff
USS Pandora
Played by: Capt. Iluvar

and

Major Terry Walsh
224th Dragonriders
Wing Vice Commander
Starbase 386