A Trip to the Orient

Posted on Fri Feb 26th, 2010 @ 5:38am by Vice Admiral Iluvar & Commander Fala Awen

Mission: Episode 1.1 - "Now Boarding"
Location: Orient Express Lounge, USS Pandora
Timeline: MD03, 2042

ON: [[Orient Express Lounge, USS Pandora, MD03, 2042]]

The large, wooden doors to the Orient Express Lounge slid open to admit a small group of crewmembers who appeared to have just come off duty. Yuris (NPC) smiled as he watched them take a seat at one of the tables. One of the crewmen, a young woman, glanced in his direction and he nodded politely toward her. She smiled before turning back to rejoin the animated conversation the group was having.

"Certainly looks fuller than last night," Greg (NPC) remarked, leaning against the outside of the bar only a short distance away from where Yuris was standing. The young man glanced around, making a mental tally of how many patrons they had already.

"Give it time," Yuris said, "The crew are still settling in. It won't be long before we'll have more guests than we know what to do with." He turned and smiled at Greg, then nodded in the direction of the group he had just observed entering the lounge. "That table looks like they could use some service," he commented, "Why don't you give them the usual welcome."

"Right on it, boss," Greg replied with a grin. The young man turned and headed towards the table Yuris had pointed out. When he reached the table, Yuris watched him smile and greet the crewmembers seated around it. First impressions were important in an establishment like this, which is why he went through the trouble to welcome those that came through his doors, especially if they were new aboard ship. He wanted everyone to think of the Orient Express as a place to relax and enjoy themselves.

Awen walked into the Lounge and moved slightly the side, surveying the scene. Really she wasn't all that much for large gatherings, unless it was with people she knew. However, this Lounge was as much her responsibility as anywhere else on the ship - Security-wise in any event. Her eyes moved about the room. It wasn't overly full, but there was a fairly good crowd.

The newest arrival had not escaped Yuris' attention. Slipping out from behind the bar, he approached the woman who had just entered the lounge. She seemed to be surveying the crowd, either trying to decide whether or not to stay or in merely an official capacity. Either way, it was Yuris' responsibility to make everyone feel welcome. "Penny for your thoughts, commander," Yuris said warmly.

At the man's words, the Bajoran raised her eyebrow slightly. It was an odd expression, considering that "pennies" were rarely if ever given for the exchange of information, but she decided to play along. "There's a good-sized crowd here this evening. Not the best layout from a security standpoint, but serves the purposes of the Lounge fairly well from what I see, Mr. Eldar."

"I don't really expect there to be any trouble, commander," Yuris replied, "do you?"

"I would hope not," Awen answered. "However, one never knows for sure. Some crewmembers could get out of hand resulting in a fight, we could have...difficult guests aboard who cause trouble, or there could be intruders. I prefer to be prepared."

"Being prepared is a very good motto to have," Yuris agreed, "The Boy Scouts of America, which began in the 20th Century on Earth, adopted that very same slogan for their organization. Preparation is important, but you can't really be prepared for everything. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow." He turned to glance at the woman, waiting to see what her reaction to his words might be. It wasn't difficult to see that she put a lot of time and effort into her job...maybe a little too much on occasion.

She considered his words, noting the historical reference. Though Awen hadn't had time to thoroughly look into Yuris' background, she knew he was El-Aurian and had spent some time on Earth. "It is impossible to be prepared for every single instance that could possibly occur, especially since one cannot control their opponent. However, I still prefer to be as prepared as possible; in the Resistance, that was vital." Though sometimes still not enough, as in the case of her brother.

To this, Yuris did not respond. In his years, he had seen many forms of resistance. Some of them had been peaceful and others had been violent. From what he knew of the Bajoran Resistance, there was little doubt in his mind that this woman had lost someone close to her. That loss was a part of her story...a story Yuris decided he should learn.

"Something tells me you've been working all day, commander," Yuris observed, "Care to join me for a moment or two?" He motioned to a small, empty table nearby. The hardest part was getting them in the door. Once they were past that, it was often much easier to convince them to take a break from the duties and obligations of the world.

Awen looked at him - apparently he was very good with the obvious...she was on a new ship and she was head of a department; it was only natural she would've been working all day. However, she also knew she should try to get to know others on the Pandora if for no other reason than to be more effective at her job. So, Awen nodded and followed him to the table, taking a seat.

Taking the seat opposite the commander, Yuris watched her for a moment, trying to understand where she might be coming from. It was a difficult task when one had so little to go on, but being able to understand another person's point of view was important to helping a conversation flow smoothly. Any other person might have jumped right in with an interrogatory question, but Yuris was an El-Aurian. Years of experience and natural inclination gave him the patience to wait.

Unsure of what exactly Yuris had had in mind when asking her to join him, Awen waited for him to speak. She was used to waiting - generally one found out more by simply waiting for the other person and allowing them to say what was on their mind. Of course, that depended on the person and she had no doubt that the man across from her had a great deal of patience. El-Aurians were known for their skill as listeners and, based on his age, he'd had plenty of time for practice. So, Awen asked, "What do you think of the Pandora?"

"She's quite the starship," Yuris remarked, "top-of-the line in Starfleet's new exploration project. Personally, I find her crew to be just as fascinating. From what I understand, most of you have transferred over from the USS Tethys with Rear Admiral Iluvar."

It was an interesting crew; he was certainly right about that. Awen replied, "Yes, the majority of us transferred over. The crew is, for the most part, quite loyal to the Admiral. What brings you to the Pandora?"

"The same thing that brought all of us here...opportunity," Yuris answered, a twinkle in his eye, "The opportunity to try something new and to learn. Isn't that why you're here?" He watched the Bajoran, knowing that his question would make her think. In the end, it was up to her whether she wanted to answer it or not. Either way, her reaction would give him further insight into her personality.

The Bajoran considered Yuris' question. Her time for learning had been when she was in Academy...her concentration there didn't line up with her current position though. Science was a far cry from Security/Tactical. Now she was simply relying on skills she'd learned in the Resistance. It had been her capture during the War that had led to her joining StarFleet in the first place; now she mostly stayed because it was what she knew and wasn't convinced there was more she could be doing to help her people other than serving in StarFleet. However, the whole explanation seemed too much to explain to a man she barely knew and caution overtook her. Instead, she replied, "Everyone's here for different reasons, Mr. Eldar..."

"Indeed we are," Yuris agreed softly, motioning for Greg to come over. The young man quickly approached the table and smiled down at the commander. Yuris could tell that Greg was enjoying himself, which meant that the night was going well for the young man. It was always good to see the staff enjoying their work because Yuris knew it meant that they would take a greater interest in their tasks. "See to it that Commander Fala gets her choice of something this evening," Yuris said, turning his attention to the woman across from him, "compliments of the proprietor."

"Much appreciated," Awen replied. Turning to Greg, she said, "Spring wine, please?"

"Certainly," Greg said with a smile, "I'll be right back." He turned and disappeared off towards the bar to handle the order. As he did so, Yuris glanced toward the large viewports along one wall of the lounge. Outside, he could see other structures that made up the shipyards of the Aldani system. From their location, they had no view of Starbase 386, but they were able to see open space, which gave Yuris the sense of standing on the edge.

Moments later, Greg returned, a glass of spring wine in one hand. With a slight flourish, he placed the glass before the Bajoran. "Here you are," he said. The young man nodded once in Yuris' direction before heading off to attend to other guests in the lounge.

OFF

A JP by

Lieutenant Commander Fala Awen
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Pandora

Yuris Eldar (NPC)
Orient Express Lounge Host
USS Pandora
Played by: RAdm Iluvar

and

Greg Letsky (NPC)
Orient Express Lounge Staff
USS Pandora
Played by: RAdm Iluvar