Here Kitty Kitty

Posted on Sat Jul 6th, 2024 @ 2:14am by Captain Aisling Banerjee & Lieutenant Lirien & Lieutenant T’Ux
Edited on on Sat Jul 6th, 2024 @ 9:54pm

3,424 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Crew Shakedown
Location: Principally Captain Banerjee's quarters
Timeline: 79453.77

T'Ux was double checking his materials. Several of his sculptures, check. His crafting tools, check. Violin, check. Libido post, check. Nail care materials, check.

Those were his main stuff really. The feline had his own stuff in a bag though the rest would be loaded onto the ship eventually via the docking tubes.

He quickly finished a letter to his family before he sent it.

"Dearest family,
I trust all is well given I have not received summons to return home. Today I board the Kepler as their Chief Medical Officer. I am nervous. I'm pleased to inform you that I have succeeded in definitely making one friend in my previous post. Which is one more than I had expected, and certainly the news would bring joy to Mother. I will give you more details once I have settled in.

Love,
T'Ux"

Several texts would arrive on his PADD within a minute later.

"Seriously T'Ux."
"Why do you still text like this?"
"Love you dearie."

A soft smile came upon his face as he read it and kept his things. Up the boarding tube he'd go, his paws quietly padding across the floor as he watched the steady flow of people around him.

First things first though, he'd had to find the Captain. He had heard of her reputation, nothing too terrifying by his standards, but still.

Attire properly pressed, straightened. Lint rolled to remove the traces of his white fur from the uniform.

"Doctor T'Ux, reporting for duty," he'd say once he arrived at where he should be where an officer was directing the flow of new comers. As one of the senior officers he should inform the captain of his arrival, though he wasn't sure how strict this new captain would be on formality.

The sea of bodies momentarily thinned, and at a junction in the corridor ahead, two officers stood before T'Ux. They broke their conversation and looked over to him. One looked to be a human male in his 40's with walnut-colored hair, and the other looked to be a young Vulcan female, though with the long-lived Vulcans age wasn't as easy to determine. She wore two pips on her collar, an officer. The older male wore the striped insignia of a non-com. Both had Starfleet yellow.

"Doctor T'Ux?" The man spoke first, offering a courteous smile. "I'm Chief Petty Officer DeJong, Operations. Welcome aboard. I was just assisting Lieutenant Lirien with her orders as well. I can verify your assigned quarters, and then the Captain would like to see both of you right away."

Lirien nodded at the human. "No rest for the wicked. Or Senior Staff." DeJong chuckled at her joke as she took a PADD back from the human. And she wore her hair longer than was typical. Perhaps not a Vulcan? "Doctor," she acknowledged evenly, She nodded in greeting to the Caitian and also proffered a slight smile, extending a hand out to T'Ux.

The feline's yellow eyes swept over both humanoids, taking note of their features. He had enough knowledge of Vulcans to ballpark Lirien's age, though Lirien's joke caught him off guard and his ears flicked slightly. A joke. Yes part of socialisation. How should he respond? Laugh? Add on to it? His mind made the decision quickly as he ran through the various possible responses.

"I certainly hope we are not the wicked," he added on to it, barely missing a beat behind DeJong's chuckle.

T'Ux reached out with to shake Lirien's hand with his own paw. They were a delightful white, a stark contrast to the rest of his black fur that covered his body. The usual stoicism that Vulcans possessed was not present in Lirien, and that hairstyle. That suggested several options. She was not raised by Vulcans, she had socialised and figured the most logical choice was to be personable, or that she was not Vulcan and had some surgical procedure done to look like one, or she was Romulan. He quickly dismissed the third one. That left the other three options. No doubt he would be looking at the staff's medical profiles later, but social etiquette dictated he not bring that observation up.

His own collar held two pips, he and Lirien were both of the same rank.

"Pleasure to meet you Lieutenant and you Chief," he said reaching out to shake DeJong's hand once he let go of Lirien's.

"I look forward to working together with the both of you."

That was the script. What came next? The Caitian's tail flicked along the floor.

"Well then, introductions aside, what is next on the agenda?" And there came the business-like manner, straight to the point.

DeJong held up his own PADD and tapped a few keys. "I've registered your arrival, and pushed your crew assignment to your devices. If you find you need anything that your quarters' replicator can't provide, please check in with the Quartermaster's office for requisitions."

"Thank you, Chief." Lirien replied, again with the measured smile unbecoming of a Vulcan. The human saluted both officers, then proceeded toward more of the newcomers exiting the turbolift.

The young woman tapped her commbadge. "Computer, locate Captain Banerjee."

=/\= Captain Banerjee is in her quarters. =/\=

Lirien gestured in the other direction to the Caitian, and they proceeded down the hallway toward the bow of the ship. She'd already had her belongings delivered to her quarters, but thought that the Doctor might wish to unload his bag before seeing the Captain. "Senior Staff quarters are also this way, if you'd like to stop there briefly first," she offered.

T’Ux studied the details quickly on his PADD, giving an affirmative nod.

His luggage details had already been sent so he should receive the rest of his boxes soon enough.

“Yes thank you,” he said as they walked towards the quarters. “I must confess, you’re a lot livelier than most Vulcans I have met.”

Away from the others, he figured it was a decent moment to comment. “It is a refreshing breath of fresh air.”

His room wasn’t too far from hers although he figured there might be nights where he would reside in the medical bay instead depending on the needs of patients.

It was bare and empty for the time being save for the usual furniture. Although a fine scratching post had been requisitioned. Standard for Caitians surely. Or a joke. He never figured out which. But it was a welcomed addition.

Lirien kept an illusive half-smile on her face since the Doctor's comment on her background, an expression that would do Leonardo da Vinci proud. If he were any other officer, she might initially allow him to believe that she was Vulcan, but as the Chief Medical Officer, he would find out soon enough. "Thank you for the compliment," she replied in the somewhat sing-song manner of her voice, "though my Vulcan parents might secretly take offense at it. Adopted parents."

She walked slowly around the living area as the Doctor settled in, looking out the viewport at the stars, then examining the sparse quarters. Lirien was curious how they'd look once T'Ux had properly made them his. She tapped the top of the scratching post with her index finger, an eyebrow quirking upward quizzically. "My mother was human. My father, Romulan. I adapted to the Vulcan naming style out of respect for my adopted parents, and to make things less... complicated, when dealing with people."

T’Ux’s decorations would leave a lot of people a lot more wary of him than he’d like. He was an unassuming kitty. Who did taxidermy as a hobby. Weird ass taxidermy with skeletons.

He listened as she went on about her personal life and he paused thoughtfully.

“They may take offence to it,” he concurred but there was no apology. He didn’t see a need to. “That does make you a child of many worlds in more ways than one, and gives you a unique perspective.” Although he wondered if it was a lonely one.

The scratching post had a ball attached to it. He had requested for that model.

“That is a post for me to keep my claws sharp. It is useful.”

There was a slight pause as he ran scripts in his mind. A slight minute delay.

“You’re welcome to use it if you need it.”

The doctor certainly had odd mental scripts.

Lirien nodded at the Doctor's insight. Truth be told, it also meant she had many voices on her proverbial shoulder providing sometimes counter-intuitive advice. The flexibility of morality that marked deadly Romulan politics, even at a young age, made the comforting rigidity of the Vulcan method something that anchored her and helped her formulate her method of attack while attending the academy. She sighed. Even that framing, 'method of attack', was her Romulan tutelage using Vulcan philosophy as a tool to be molded to purpose. Of course, it was her mother's human insights, the perspective of a Starfleet xenobiologist, that stayed with her the most, so Lirien embraced her grace and her ability to focus on methodology and observation.

Her thoughts might have been elsewhere, but her eyes had been fixated on the room's one unique trait, and when T'Ux offered to let her use it, it snapped Lirien back to the here and now. Rather than try to make sense of it, Lirien opted for diplomacy and formality. She filed away the tempest of thoughts quickly and turned to face him. "Thank you. But, I keep my claws stowed in my quarters most days." Not that he knew about her assortment of bladed weapons, yet. "Shall we?" she nodded toward the door.

Stored in her quarters he mentally made a note of that before nodding his head.

“After you,” he indicated politely before they left and headed towards the Captain’s quarters. He let Lirien take the lead, keeping quiet unless spoken to as he sorted information.

The computer directed the two officers to Captain Banerjee's quarters, and once the chime sounded she called out "Enter!"

Inside the place was a bit disordered with unopened crates amongst the furniture. Banerjee had open holograms on the walls and over the desk. On was were schematics of Kepler, on another was a long list of the ship's compliment. Another showed maps of the Alpha Quadrant peppered with red icons and what looked like stardates. Banerjee was slipping her jacket on as the pair entered.

"Ah!" she brightened and smiled, "Doctor....T'Ux and Lieutenant Lirien. A pleasure."

She walked over to the desk, "Pardon the clutter, I am still moving in, and I am juggling quite a few balls in the air..."

The list over the desk had a header, read backwards from where the pair stood it read "The Cast". Banerjee murmured, "Of course, some things are more important than others..." she quickly and deftly swiped names back and forth eliminating most of them, "...but one ultimately needs to give each one at least a little bit of-"

One name seemed to refuse to swipe to the discard list: "Blaise Fury". Banerjee tried swiping it several times, but it stubbornly remained in place. Sighing, Banerjee closed the window. Or tried to, as it too refused to go away.

"Anyway," The Captain said with a wry expression, "Welcome aboard Kepler. Have you had a chance to see it? It is a magnificent ship; much larger than my old one. I needed to take a break walking from one end to the other."

T’Ux would briefly glance at the air above the captain when she said she was juggling balls. Right a metaphor. He gave a nod only to see the captain get distracted… so he slid into his at attention pose while he waited impatiently… but he didn’t let it show on his face. Or maybe he did. Caitian emotions can be hard to read.

“Doctor T’Ux reporting for duty Captain… I just arrived in the ship within the hour and have yet to familiarise myself physically. Lieutenant Lirien has been helpful in getting around the place.”

"I may have studied the schematics a bit en route," Lirien acknowledged. "Thank you, Captain. Reporting for duty, as Doctor T'Ux indicated. You commanded the Cygni, yes?" A Nova-class ship. Certainly more snug than the newer Sagan-class build of the Kepler.

"Someone did their homework, I see," Aisling noted with a smile. She shut down the holographic map, "Yes, one had to learn early on how to get along with everyone else," she nodded at the small dinner table, "Please, have a seat. Just move the boxes off the chairs, lay them anywhere. I accrued far too many personal effects, it seems. Would you like some refreshment? The replicator is functioning." She regarded the holo on her desk again, grimaced...

T’Ux still stood at attention. Seeing the schematic was much more different for him… kitty was not good at doing the whole turn a physical diagram of a ship into a mental map thing. He was much better at analysing bodies.

Then she asked him to sit and he’d do so… eying the boxes. One of them looked big enough to sit in. He could always replicate a good box anyway. But the inclination was there.

He picked a stool to sit on. On account of tail. Anything with a backrest had better have some hole or something was uncomfortable and he had gotten used to curling his tail around his front, but it was not comfortable.

“Thank you for the offer Captain. Some milk would suffice for me… though is anything the matter?” He inquired after spotting the grimace. Perhaps they would be assigned duties soon enough to handle. The feline’s fur was a little floppy… a bit of stress. Formal protocol he could handle. The captain was coming off as semi informal here, and he was emotionally not prepared for it, but trying.

Lirien shook her head with a quiet "I'm fine, thank you," but caught the Captain's expression as she settled into her seat, wondering what about the holo concerned Banerjee. She peered closer to study it.

"Oh, nothing serious," Aisling noted absently as she stepped around the desk and strode over to the replicator. She murmured, "Milk, whole, warm," a glass of the white liquid appeared. Apparently she had done her homework as well. She she removed the glass from the replicator, then she said, "Chai, extra sweet."

Aisling set the glass before T'Ux and then took a seat herself. She sipped her chair and explained, "This is the first time I have collaborated on a book and my co-writer is...very opinionated on some things. It is the first time she has collaborated as well. We are...still getting used to the arrangement."

T’Ux… would definitely be unable to hide his surprise when the captain herself got up and got him the milk. “Thank you sir,” he added picking the glass up as he listened to get go on about her co-author troubles.

He glanced at her, then at the milk, then at her again, and her room. Taking in the whole setting properly. “I apologise if I am… stiff when I shouldn’t be.” He winced at his own phrasing.

“This is a lot less formal of situations than I am used to… you are the first captain who has… done such for me,” he stated glancing at the milk.

“If I may be so forward to ask, what would your expectations be of us?” Was he to remain on formal terms all the time? Was she expecting some informality? How did she expect the crew to be run?

Aisling sipped her chai to allow herself a moment to frame a response, she gave a slight wince and after she finished sipping eyed the cup suspiciously. Then she said, "I do apologize, Doctor. It was not my intention to make you in any way, shape or form feel uncomfortable. On the Cygni things were a touch more informal but that was by necessity; the arrangement was more physically...intimate. Even so I am aware I am going to have to make adjustments to my style.

"In any case I consider my quarters more or less my home and here I do feel a touch of informality is warranted," she brightened, set down the cup of chai and pulled out a padd from her tunic. She rapidly typed something. On the holo behind her appeared the name 'Amber Blaise'. There was a moment's pause and 'Blaise Fury" disappeared.

"Ah!" Aisling said with satisfaction as she turned back to the others, "Oh, yes, my expectations. Well, I expect perfection, of course. But I will settle for excellence," she said this with a slight twinkle in her eye as she raised her cup to her lips, then seemed to think better of it and set it down again.

Though it was officially informal, Lirien still desired to make a proper first impression, while getting a measure of who she was serving under. She wondered what it must be like to collaborate so closely in writing, imagining it to be a great deal more difficult than playing musical instruments with others. Her ears perked up at the Captain's semi-joking response, and she nodded at that. "Perfection sounds doable," she joked back, matching Banerjee's tone unconsciously, and she offered her half-smile to the Captain and then the Doctor. A beat passed, and she added, "Informality will take a little practice." She allowed herself to settle into her seat more, back not quite as rigid, and crossed her legs.

“Not at all Captain. This is your ship and I will adjust to it. I am just… a fairly formal person all things taken into consideration,” the feline said as he sipped his milk. Even his informal texts were formal.

He eyed the holo briefly as he read the name, curious what it was. But then again she had mentioned she was a writer. Perhaps it was the next book title.

“I find those terms agreeable. Although I hope I can be forgiven when randomness and chance play a huge part in things even when I deliver excellence.” He looked a little sullen at that. Sometimes he knew he did his best, but people still died. That was the burden he knew he’d carry.

He’d lean back a little, letting out a soft purr as he appreciate the milk, closing his eyes to briefly enjoy it as he drank. Adorable kitty.

“And thank you for inviting us into your home.” His mind wandered to the scratching post… he would try it out later though his eyes landed on the captain to see where she would want to steer this formal informal meeting. Getting to know them? Delivery of orders? He watched her quietly, though occasionally glancing at his half Romulan companion.

"Well, formality and structure are important," Aisling replied, "It is why we have a rank structure, clearly defined roles," she sipped her tea, "Although I do confess those roles can...erode with familiarity. Although when that happens the responsibility lies directly on the shoulders of the commanding officer."

Aisling took a final sip of the chai, gulping it down without really tasting it, and stood, she began to stand and frowned slightly. She glanced under the table and said, "Ah!" She reached under and retrieved a cane with a black ferrule and shaft and a long silver cape and derby style handle.

"Was wondering where I had put that," she muttered, 'So. Much. Stuff," she glanced at the pair, "My door is always open. Metaphorically speaking. Just don't abuse the privilege; I need to sleep some time."

Lirien nodded with a gracious - if subdued - smile, and stood up from her seat, arms clasped at ease in front of her. "By your leave, Captain, Doctor," she acknowledged T'Ux as well.

T’Ux nodded his head. He was used to waiting and being kept in the dark. Sometimes literally. Hide and seek was something he played often as a child, hiding in boxes. He did glance over at the cane with an approving glance, but said nothing of it.

“As will I sir,” he said as he moved to stand and head off unless they were told otherwise.

Aisling gave them an absent wave as she headed to the desk. Not just so much stuff, but so much to do as well...

 

RSS Feed