Shijo Yara arrives on board

Posted on Sun Jul 7th, 2024 @ 8:47pm by Captain Aisling Banerjee & Lieutenant JG Shijo Yara

1,053 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Crew Shakedown
Location: Transporter Room and beyond
Timeline: 79459.14

Yara beamed aboard and presented his orders to the waiting crew members.

He was unsure if he should ask after the location of Captain, or wait to be told.

"Welcome aboard, lieutenant," the transporter chief stated as various other crew members stepped off the pad. After quickly verifying orders the crew persons left.

"Where should I report to the Captain? Or does Captain Banerjee have other protocols?"

"Oh, the captain is new here herself," the chief noted as he examined Yara's orders, "She comes and goes all about the ship. Rumor has it she hasn't even stepped foot in her ready room, barely been seen on the bridge," she tapped her badge, "Computer, location of Captain Banerjee?"

"Captain Banerjee is in waste management," the computer replied.

"Hah! Deck sixteen, lieutenant. Turbolift is to your right outside the door, you might have to hurry before she heads elsewhere."

"Thankyou" Yara gives the abbreviated on-board salute and heads to the turbolift. He smiles, as the ship matches the training holodeck in important details at least. His long legs eat up the short distance to the turbolift, but he knows better than to run without very good reason.

Stepping aboard the turbolift, Yara gives the command "Deck Sixteen" and decides not to add "quickly", or "as fast as you can". This is no Taxi.

Yara plans his route from the turbolift arrival point to waste mangement.

The turbolift doors opened, and standing there was Captain Banerjee. And she was staring right at Yara's chest. She blinked and looked up and then smiled.

"Lieutenant!" she said, "Shijo, right? Family name first, yes? Were you coming down here looking for me?"

She glanced over her shoulder, "Nothing much else down here to be looking for, that is for certain..."

Yiro salutes, then smiles and answers "Yes, family name Shijo, personal name Yara. I was looking for you to report for duty. I wanted to check your position on the Bajoran ear-decoration and check for anything else that might apply. It is, as you (I am sure) already know my first Star Fleet assignment."

"Understood, lieutenant. Welcome aboard. As to your religious and cultural beliefs and practices, as long as they do not interfere with your duties I have no issue. After all," she pointed at the black spot on her forehead with a wry smile, "Any other attitude would paint me a hypocrite."

"Thankyou Captain. It certainly is a fine ship you have here Captain"

"It is, isn't it?" she noted as she stepped into the turbolift with the lieutenant, "I confess I am still getting used to the sheer size of her. My prior vessel was rather more..." she held up her hands, palms inches from one another, "...compact. Bridge!"

The doors swooshed shut, "and the turbolift was on the move, "How is your family handling the change in career, lieutenant, may I ask?"

"Well, " Yara frowns "they do find it a little difficult when I am away. I think they draw comfort from the fact that I am no longer serving in a Patrol ship, those being so small. Though I rarely got out of the System, so will be much further away and that will be more stress. I guess I will find out when I next talk to them!"

Yara goes quiet, wondering if he had taken up too much of the Captains time, but hey, she had to ride the turbolift anyway.

Just as the turbolift arrived, Yara asked "anything else Captain?"

"Eager to be some place, lieutenant?" Banerjee inquired mildly as the doors swooshed open. She led him onto the bridge and paused, then grimaced. She turned to him as he exited, "The ready room is accessible only through the conference room. What a silly design feature."

"No Captain, just concious not to take up too much of your time. Hmm yes, seems odd!"

She motioned for him to follow him.

Yara nods and follows... curious ...

Aisling led the lieutenant through the conference room, at the moment sparsely decorated. She wondered what would be suitable. Memorabilia from Cigni seemed inappropriate. The ready room was even more barren. She sat on the couch in the corner and motioned Yara to join her.

Yara follows and sits.

"How would your family handle your...extended absense?" she inquired. "I cannot go into details now but our mission might take us a considerable way outside the Federation and away from Bajor. It could be some months before you could even contact them."

"It will not be easy, but they are well prepared. Nerys, my wife, is well organized and used to me being away for weeks, even a month. Nerys, my daughter, is a great help to her. Sisko, my son" Yara smiles "is already showing some tendancy to duty. They go to school, allowing my wife some time to herself, and some work. I will miss them, and they will miss me, but Duty is important."

"So, I should tell them not to worry if I am away for an extended time without contact? Or would that be 'loose lips'?"

Aisling considered that, "Well, lieutenant, this assignment will mean being away from your family physically for long periods at a time. And I will try to afford you every available opportunity to keep in touch with them, but that might not always be possible. I can say for certain this mission is very important; if we are right the security of not only the Federation but the entirety of the Alpha quadrant is at stake."

"Then I am in the right place, Captain. But I will have to phrase it carefully to my family!"

Aisling hesitated, then gave a nod.

"Very well," she said, "I felt it important to make you aware of the situation before you committed to it."

She sighed, then said, "Thank you, lieutenant. I think that it all for now," she paused, then added, "Unless there is something else? I appreciate you not wanting to waste my time but I do not want anyone to think I am not available."

"Thank you Captain" Yara salutes "no that is everything I wanted" and turns away, heading back towards the turbolift.

Once out of earshot of the Captain, taps his comms badge and asks the computer for the location of Commander Maxwell Fitzroy....

 

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