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Seyla scowled as she leaned over the yellow furred Kzin who sat sullen and defiant before her.
"If you do this again, the Captain assured me you'll spend a few days in the brig. To reflect on the error of your actions." she growled.
"But they started it." he protested, unintimidated.
'They' referred to several of the more hot blooded members of the Saurian security detail. After imbibing in a great deal of alcohol, the reptilians had become rowdy and insulted the parentage of the security officer who now sat before her.
"They have diplomatic immunity. You do not." Seyla ominously pointed out.
Turek had been silently pacing across the room all the while, but he stopped abruptly at her words. He moved swiftly to the table, leaning towards the Kzin.
"The initiator of your battle is irrelevant. You are a Starfleet officer and are expected to behave accordingly." he said reprovingly.
"Yes, Sir." Lieutenant L'fr said with obvious difficulty.
"Do you require medical assistance? I can summon Doctor Keset to evaluate you." Turek offered, surveying the Kzin with a critical eye. L'fr's face was bruised beneath his golden fur, and there was evidence of dried blood on his lips.
"That is not necessary." L'fr's ears twitched at the unintential insult and flattened against his head as he spoke.
"Very well, then. The Captain has permitted me to discipline you as I deem appropriate. You are confined to quarters for the rest of the day and you are ordered to stay away from the Saurians for the remainder of thier time aboard ship. You will also be relegated to working Gamma watch for one week. Is that understood?"
L'fr's expression clearly conveyed his sense of injustice at being punished while, in his opinion, the true perpetrators remained free.
"Yes, sir." he said half heartedly, wincing as he stood and limped out of the interrogation room.
"May I make a suggestion?" Seyla waited until the Kzin had left before she spoke.
"Certainly."
"Perhaps we should watch the Saurians carefully to prevent future misunderstandings between our people and thiers."
"Your thoughts mirror my own, Lieutenant."
Seyla could have sworn she heard him sigh in consternation at the potential trouble ahead. She hoped this one incident would be the last.
****
Melor D'ken gazed with undisguised admiration at the pulsating warp core located in the center of Main Engineering. He had always respected the builders of the complex technology that was able to successfully harness such power. The room was crowded; engineers occupied every station, heads bent over thier tasks as the warp core hummed ceaselessly in the background. He noted with some amusement that none dared to look his way, not with such a formidable overseer. The chief engineer stood wordlessly on the level above them. arms folded across her chest, her sharp eyes seeking out any who would dare to glance in his direction. From her vantage point, she could easily survey her domains and her penetrating gaze missed nothing. Rhianna Jorrell was a dark haired Vulcanoid, perpetually frowning, and the first female he had met since arriving who appeared unaffected by his presence. Unknowingly, this trait had earned Rhianna Jorrell his respect.
"I believe I've seen enough." he said at last.
The human guide who had been assigned to him was a pompous human male who insisted on boring him with a minutae of insipid details during his tour and Melor had taken to ignoring him while managing to appear interested. He understood that the Captain meant to show him respect by giving him his first officer as a guide, but Melor would have preferred someone a little less arrogant.
The Deltan ambassador would have been surprised to learn that his guide felt the same way about him. Mark O'Conner couldnt have imagined a more painful assignment than escorting the self important man in the overly bright yellow robes. He was sure he was developing retinal damage with each moment spent in the Deltan's company. None of his thoughts were apparent,however, as he smiled benignly.
"Would you like to see our science department, Ambassador? We are as well equipped as any university laboratory." he suggested.
The Deltan fixed his violet gaze on Mark and responded dryly, "I cant imagine what could please me more."
Gritting his teeth while simultaneously forcing a pleasant expression to his face, Mark gestured for the ambassador to precede him to the turbolifts. His proximity to the man made his skin crawl. He knew Deltans spontaeously released pheromones so strong they could be sensed from several feet away--the idea that he could involuntarily respond to them repelled him. This unease had caused him to avoid the sole Deltan officer serving on Prometheus, and watching the reaction of the women to D'Ken's presence as they navigated the corridors disturbed him. The Deltan, on the other hand, seemed to take it all in stride. He was evidently used to the responses he recieved and seemed indifferent if not outright bored by it.
Mark led him into the science wing, pointing out the various sections and offering brief descriptions of the current running experiments in each. As he headed for the geological sciences lab, Mark belatedly realized the Ambassador was no longer at his side. He retraced his steps, frowning at having misplaced his charge, but he did not have to go far to find him. Melor D'Ken stood inches from the glass, staring intently into the astrometrics lab. Mark followed his gaze, curious as to what had captured his attention. Ariada D'all stood facing away from them, laughing and pointing at a computer image as three science officers clustered around her, evidently debating the image on the display screen. She laughed again, unaware that she was the object of attention from the other side of the glass.
"Who is that?" the Ambassador asked. "I was unaware that a Deltan served aboard your ship."
"Dr. Ariada D'all. She's the head of the life sciences department."
"D'all." he repeated thoughtfully, as if searching for meaning in the name. "And who is the human to her left?"
"Our chief science officer, Dr. Daniel Ryan." Mark answered, curious at the other man's obvious interest.
It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. The Deltan silently observed the scene for a moment longer before he turned to Mark and said, "I believe you were going to show me the geology laboratory?"
****
The messhall was eerily silent this evening--small groups of twos and threes sat interspersed throughout the large room speaking in hushed tones. From Rhianna Jorrell's vantage point, she could count the number of people in the room on her hands. She didn't mind. In fact, she enjoyed the solitude it offered, knowing moments such as these were rare. She sipped her jumja tea slowly, enjoying the feel of the hot spicy liquid as it slid down her throat. The replicated tea was a good facsimile but it wasn't quite like the real thing. However, it was as close as she was going to get until she got her hands on another Bajoran trader.
Rhianna cradled the cup in her hands, enjoying the warmth it radiated as she surveyed the room. Wryly, she noted she was the only one sitting solo--not that this was unusual. A giggle from an adjacent table interrupted her musings. Rhianna glanced in the direction of the laughing couple and was overcome by a momentary pang of envy. The clatter of a tray startled her and she looked up to see Ari Denyri slipping into the seat across from her.
"Hi Rhi." he grinned. "Mind if I join you?"
Rhianna looked pained. She often wondered why he bothered asking permission when he intended on performing the action regardless of the answer. And despite her frequent attempts to discourage him from using the nickname, he persisted in calling her 'Rhi'. She grunted in reply, the sound muffled by the cup at her lips.
"What an exciting morning." he said between bites of his meal. "First, a visit from the Deltan ambassador and then--" he paused and leaned forward, eyes twinkling, "--Surprise drills from the CEO. That lost you a few popularity votes. Still, they did better than expected, dont you think?"
Rhianna shrugged noncommittally as she swirled the amber liquid in her cup.
"They performed...adequately." she finally admitted, then raised an eyebrow as she continued, "Did they send you here to test the waters? You must have drawn the short straw."
Ari chuckled at her unexpected display of humor. "Quit being so suspicious, will you? I'm not here to grill you."
Rhianna relaxed a fraction more and offered a slight smile in return. Her hands flew to her ears and she was relieved to find that they were hidden beneath the dark hair which fell to her shoulders. Ari caught the gesture but did not comment. Instead, he sat back in his seat and made himself comfortable.
"What are you two whispering about?"The voice belonged to Naeve Sevril, who seemed to materialize out of nowhere with a tray.
Ari slid to one side to make room for her.
"That our department has become a tour stop on the ambassadors' nickel and dime tour. I can't wait til we get them to that conference and off this ship."
"You and me both." Naeve fervently agreed. "I just had to accept a complaint from the Saurian ambassador. Claims one of his people was assaulted by one of ours."
At Ari's questioning glance, she shook her head. "Dont ask. Long story."
"Speaking of ambassadors, how does it feel meeting the one from your own homeworld? That must be something to write home about." Ari said conversationally as he speared a piece of meat with his fork.
"Not exactly." Naeve said carefully. "My parents didn't quite approve of my decision to join Starfleet."
Ari nodded sympathetically as he swallowed some water. "Yours either? Let me guess. They wanted you to stay and join the family business? "
"Something like that." Naeve smiled.
"What about you, Rhi? Your parents must be proud. Especially since you made chief." Ari's voice harbored a tinge of envy.
Taking a sip of tea, Rhianna answered abruptly. "They're dead."
Taken aback by her response, Ari managed to say, "Oh. I'm sorry."
Realizing she was being unintentionally rude, Rhianna awkwardly explained, "Don't be. I hardly knew them anyway."
Naeve cleared her throat and prudently prepared to change the subject. Before she could think of a cheerier topic, the engineer continued tersely, "If you dont mind, I'd prefer not to rehash my childhood."
"Of course."Ari said softly, and Rhianna cringed inwardly when she saw what might have been sympathy flicker across his face.
Coming to her rescue, Naeve said brightly, "Who's up for a game of halda ball?"
"I'll play." Ari enthusiastically volunteered.
Two sets of eyes turned in Rhianna's direction.
"No thank you. I have work to do." she said hastily, shifting awkwardly in her seat as she watched her companions rise and walk away.
The sound of laugher and merriment exploded from a nearby table at which several crew members sat clustered in a group. It suddenly seemed very crowded in the section of the room she found herself in. Rhianna drained her tea quickly and left the messhall, heading in the direction of her quarters without a back ward glance.
*****
"Absolutely not." Daniel Ryan said flatly, injecting as much authority into his voice as he could muster. Still, the Deltan at his side persisted. She matched her stride to his, refusing to let him escape before she got the answer she had come looking for.
"I'll take extra precautions." she offered.
"No." Daniel kept his eyes straight ahead, refusing to even look at her. At the way her cheeks flushed with excitement. Or the way her grey eyes glowed silver with determination when she wanted something. Just like...that.
"I'll take sole responsibility if something goes wrong."
"Nothing will go wrong, Ariada, because there will be no experiment." Daniel stopped abruptly at the turbolifts and stabbed the button to summon one. He turned to her, his expression adamant.
"In fact, we're not even having this conversation."
Ariada bit her lip in agitation and Daniel could sense her mind racing to thwart him with an argument in her favor. But there wasn't one . What his section head requested was ludicrous. In order to test a newly discovered bacteria's response to various conditions, the Deltan proposed erecting a level 10 forcefield in a section of the life sciences lab--to duplicate its natural environment. She hadn't thought to mention it's natural environment was lethal to most humanoids until five minutes ago.
A smile tugged at the corners of Ariada's mouth.
"I'll buy you lunch."
Daniel shook his head. "Not a good enough bribe."
"So....if I can think of something to entice you with, I can have my experiment?"
Daniel grinned wryly at her poor choice of words and to his surprise, he managed not to blush. For once.
"What's so funny?" she demanded.
Before he could answer, the turbolift doors slid open, startling them both. Daniel found himself facing the tall, slender Deltan ambassador accompanied by a bored looking Commander O'Conner. Both men stepped aside to allow him to pass and he murmured a greeting as he entered the lift, trailed by Ariada. As the lift ascended once more, Daniel smiled awkwardly at the Ambassador, whose only response was a rude stare and a frown before pointedly turning towards the Commander with a question. Friendly, isnt he, he thought to himself.
*****
"Magnify." Naeve Sevril ordered.
The starfield instantly expanded, revealing several clusters of stars and thier orbiting planets as the ship streaked past them.
"The detail is amazing." Ambassador Delra said in wonderment, her eyes never leaving the viewscreen.
Naeve leaned against a console, arms folded across her chest as she studied the Aquatian with silent amusement. She had saved the bridge-and the spectacular views it offered-for last. Beta shift tended to be quiet and uneventful and ws the perfect opportunity for a bridge tour. And the Ambassador had just the reaction Naeve had hoped for. No matter how bored or worldwise they seemed at the beginning, no civilian had ever left the bridge without the look of awe and respect which reflected on Delra's face at this moment. The spell was broken by the unwelcome chirp of her commbadge. Ambassador Delra blinked and reluctantly tore her eyes from the screen. Naeve sighed as she acknowledged the summons.
<< Uh...Lieutenant Commander, can you come to Deck 15? >>
She recognized the voice as belonging to Ensign Carl Schafer. A very anxious Carl Schafer.
"Can it wait? I'm a little busy at the moment." her voice was heavy with impatience.
<< It's sort of important, sir. >>
Naeve sighed. Deck 15. Deck 15. What was so important about Deck 15? Suddenly it came to her. The deck was the temporary home of several ambassadorial parites. The Saurians, the Haalians, and...the Loronians. She winced. Judging by Schafer's tone, whatever the problem was, she probably wasn't going to like it. Delra's jade eyes met her own in mute understanding, and she silently apologized as she tapped her commbadge once more.
"I'll be right there."
It took only a few moments to escort the Ambassador to her quarters, hijack the nearest turbolift and descend through the bowels of the ship. She could hear the commotion as she approached--the gravelly rumble of an irritable Saurian, merging with a voice which alternated from placating to pleading. It sounded suspiciously like Schafer's. Above them both, a high shrill voice permeated the hallway. A voice so distinctive, she'd recognize it anywhere.
"This is quite impossible, young man. I'm afraid you'll just have to relocate us." Ambassador Kiera's tone was mild, yet firm. As if she spoke to a child.
Naeve quickened her pace, her sharp eyes taking in the unfolding drama. The Saurian ambassador, K'ssth, towered over Kiera in an unsuccessful attempt at intimidation as she glared at him, undeterred. Between the two combatants was Carl Schafer, pressed flat against the wall, an expression of utter misery on his face. As Naeve came into view, his eyes lit up at the sight of his savior.
"Lieutenant Commander!" he squeaked. "You're here."
"Yes. I'm here." Her voice was harsher than she would have preffered, but she impaled the hapless Ensign with her gaze. "What's the problem? The abbreviated version."
He opened his mouth as if to speak but the Loronian ambassador never gave him the opportunity.
"Yes, well, it's quite simple really. I can't stay in the rooms I was given one moment longer. Not with him on the other side of the wall."
K'ssth growled softly, a dangerous glint in his yellow eyes as he glowered at her.
Naeve stepped neatly between them, forcing both parties to step back. "Could you be more specific please?"
"They spend several hours a day....howling." Kiera sniffed.
Naeve turned towards the Saurian for confirmation.
"The Ambassador iss incorrect. What she hearss iss the ssound of chanting during our prayer ritualss. She exaggeratess. They take no longer than twenty minutess. We will not forego them to pleasse her." he explained in a surprisingly civil tone.
"Prayers?" Kiera repeated incredulously. "Cant you chant more....quietly?"
"No." he growled in response.
Naeve chewed her lip thoughtfully for a moment, ignoring Kiera. "Ambassador K'ssth." she said at last. "Do your prayers extend late into the evening?"
"No. The lasst portion musst be completed by 1900 hourss."
"Whould you be so kind as to give Ambassador Kiera a schedule of your prayer times?"
"If you wish." he agreed.
"Good." She turned back to Kiera, who regarded her with dismay as she continued. "Perhaps your party could arrange to be elsewhere during Saurian prayers? That way, you wont be disturbed."
"You're not serious. this is a large ship. Surely there's somewhere else we could be housed?" Kiera objected.
"I'm afraid not. To ensure proper security measures are taken, you must remain on this level." Naeve said with cool politeness. "I'm sure you understand."
Ensign Schafer, long forgotten by all, watched the two women with growing interest. The Commander was both professional and courteous. Yet she regarded the Loronian Ambassador as one would a particularly distasteful insect.
"No, I dont understand. This is unacceptable. I demand a change of rooms." Kiera placed her hands on her hips and tossed her head haughtily.
Naeve sighed wearily. "May I speak to you privately, Ambassador?"
"If you wish." Kiera said warily.
Naeve gestured towards the Ambassador's quarters, following the other woman as she stepped inside. To her satisfaction, the doors slid firmly shut against the curious stares of her shipmates and she visibly relaxed. They were alone.
"Are you trying to make things difficult for me?" Naeve demanded.
"Don't be silly. Everything isn't always about you." Kiera answered scornfully.
"No." The Ops officer readily agreed. "It's usually about you. I'm sorry you're not happy. But there's nothing I can do about it."
Naeve stood stiffly before the ambassador, arms folded protectively across her chest, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. After a moment, she wavered and her shoulders drooped, her emerald eyes losing some of the ice they had held seconds before.
"Please." she said with obvious difficulty, lifting a hand in supplication. "Behave yourself until we reach our destination. I'm...asking you to keep a low profile."
Kiera flushed angrily at the obstinate young woman in command red.
"Do I embarrass you?" she demanded.
"No." Naeve lied, swiftly suppressing her guilt at Kiera's accurate question. "I....just can't be seen as showing favoritism to you over the others. "
"Very well." Kiera sighed. "I will keep these quarters."
"Thank you." Naeve said with obvious relief.
"And since you're here, we have some personal matters that need to be discussed. Please sit down."
Naeve Sevril had only been in the Ambassadors quarters for 10 minutes, but Carl Schafer was intensely curious as to what they might be discussing. However, when she burst out of the room moments later, her face white with obvious distress as she pushed past him, he decided now might not be a good time to ask. ***
"Would you like a refreshment while you wait?"
The tall, slender Deltan extended a flat tray with several goblets of liquid towards her, pausing to allow her to select one. He seemed to hover over her, his white robes rippling around his ankles as he shifted his weight. Ariada D'all shook her head as she clasped her hands tightly in her lap, white knuckles betraying the anxiety beneath her calm exterior.
"No, thank you." she said softly.
Her host did not reply. He placed the tray on a glass table and sat down across from her, arranging the folds of his robes so as not to crease them. Wordlessly, he assessed Ariada with his cool, silver gaze. Although he hadn't said a word, Ariada felt as if she had just been judged and found wanting. She still had not been given a reason as to why she had been summoned--only that her presence was required in Melor D'Ken's quarters. In the past day, she had seen the Ambassador several times-which was a bit surprising considering the size of the ship. He had barely even acknowledged her on these occasions, making the summons doubly surprising.
She shifted uneasily in the persistent silence, looking everywhere but at the ambassadorial aide who continued to study her with undisguised disappointment.
"Do you like it aboard this ship?" he said at last.
"Yes." her reply was wary. "I do."
"Do you not find it difficult to be away from your own kind?" The question was a casual one, but he appeared anxious for her reply.
"I am a scientist. Starfleet has given me opportunites i could not have otherwise. At times, I miss the companionship of other Deltans, but I have grown accustomed to this lifestyle."
"I see. Then you are...comfortable here."
"yes. I have friends, colleagues, a good job--"
"Ah, friends. Such as your supervisor? A human male I believe?" he interrupted.
"Yes. Although I fail to see the importance of his race or gender."Ariada's hands were clasped together so tightly, they ached.
"Then you are a fool."
"Enough, Lakar!" The Ambassador's voice was sharp as he appeared from a side room.
Lakar flushed guiltily and lapsed into silence as if he had been slapped. The yellow robed Deltan came closer and raised a hand slightly, gesturing with his fingers. The nonverbal exchange was brief and Lakar hastily excused himself, throwing one last disgusted look at Ariada before he vanished into the room out of which the Ambassador had appeared.
"You must excuse Lakar. He is ...impetuous." Melor D'Ken apologized but his smile was without warmth.
"Yes, sir." she said stiffly.
"You are angry." he observed. "Dont be. He is concerned for your welfare. As am I."
"Concerned?"Ariada repeated. Ambassador of her people or not, D'Ken had no right to pry into her life-or discuss it over tea.
"You are young. You should be among your own kind in your formative years-not among these other...lesser races." He reached for the tray Lakar had abandoned and selencted a goblet filled with ruby colored liquid. Swirling it once, he raised it to his lips.
"With all due respect, Ambassador, I have chosen my path in Starfleet." Ariada was angry at herself for the quiver in her voice.
"Starfleet has all Deltan ships." he observed.
"Yes. Small research ships. I prefer a large exploration vessel. Like this one."
D'Ken took another swallow. "Mixed crew ships are difficult assignments. Often lonely as well." he remarked as he rested the goblet in the palm of one hand.
"I dont find that to be a problem, Ambassador."
"I find that hard to believe." He smiled thinly. "You see, I am not unaware of Dr. Ryan's interest in you."
Before she could object, he held up a hand. "I do not condemn him. His race is unevolved ."
"Ambassador--"
"It is difficult for humans to work with us. You should not make it harder for him, child." he said, not ungently.
"I have done nothing wrong." She said with genuine surprise. "I have not broken my celibacy vows."
"No." he agreed. "Nor have I accused you of doing so. I merely wish to remind you of who and what you are. Do not mistake human instinct for genuine regard. Or friendship. I would not wish for you to become...confused."
Thier gazes locked, silver on silver, and they regarded each other silently for a moment. Ariada looked away first, her eyes falling on her trembling hands.
Seemingly oblivious to her distress, D'Ket reached for another goblet from the tray.
"Do try the K'ver wine. It is quite excellent."
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