Meeting Security

Posted on Thu Jan 21st, 2021 @ 6:51pm by Commander Grace Vetur & Lieutenant Commander Anahera Chernova

1,066 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: The Lonesome Road
Location: Security

ON

Grace walked into the main security office hoping that the commander was available. She wanted to meet the senior staff and get an idea of who they were and how she could best support them.

She nodded to the first person she saw. "Is Commander Chernova available?"

"Yes, ma'am, she's in her office." The young Ensign reported.

"Thank you," Grace said. "Is she busy?"

"She said she was just going to organise her office, ma'am." The Ensign replied.

Grace didn't think it would be a problem, then. "Thank you again."

Security Chief's Office

Anahera swore in what was a mixture of Ukrainian and Klingon and tossed another burnt out rely aside. She knelt in front of her partly disassembled replicator, with a tri-corder in her hand and various burnt out parts strewn across the floor. She was in her undershirt with her sleeves rolled up. Her uniform jacket was draped over the back of her chair.

Grace heard the epithets before she rang the chime on the door. She hoped it didn't mean she was coming at a bad time, but she was here and might as well see if she could be of assistance.

"Enter." Anahera called over her shoulder.

Grace walked in and paused, looking at the chaos. "I hope I didn't come at a bad time." There was a slight twinkle of humor in her eyes as she spoke.

"No, not at all." Anahera said raising to meet her guest. "I hope you didn't want a drink, somehow the person who installed the replicator forgot to add a power converter and when I ordered a coffee, it ended up frying all the power circuits." She added. "So what can I do for you, Commander?" She asked.

"No, I came to say hello," Grace said. "I'm the new Executive Officer."

"Hello, I'm Anahera Chernova, new Security Chief and part time engineer, nice to meet you, XO."

"Likewise." She nodded to the replicator. "I see the engineer. So, why are you in security now?"

"I'm primarily a Security Officer, engineer is a hobby that sort of got out of hand. My father was an engineer, and was one of those responsible for constructing the moon base that eventually became Armstrong City." Anahera explained.

"No wonder you know engineering. That would make for an interesting childhood. So why security?"

"I thought it was a natural progression after being a mercenary for over a century." Anahera replied.

"Forgive me for my curiosity, but what brought you to become a mercenary?" She was quite fascinated by the woman's past. "Compared to you, my life is quite bland."

"well after my freighter was impounded and my crew arrested for piracy at a Federation station, I fled to unknown space, where I learnt how to fight. Eventually, I was approached by an Andorian, after a bar fight. He congratulated me on my win and invited me to join the Pra thal academy, an Andorian mercenary school. I accepted and after completing my training, I had a bio-mechanical implant placed in my head. It increased my strength, my pain resistance and my ability to think on my feet. I was discerning when it came to my contracts, I'd only fight for the underdog."

"That...is quite the history. And now you've gone in a completely different direction and joined Starfleet. Do you ever regret leaving that life?" she asked.

"Joining Starfleet wasn't entirely my choice, it was a stipulation of my probation." Anahera replied. "I do miss it at times, but Starfleet has given me order and stability, things I didn't have back then."

"I was going to ask if you had regrets," Grace said. "Sometimes people underestimate the value of stability. I thought I had it myself, until my parents were killed. It took time, but my grandparents helped me find it again, and I'm grateful they did."

"I'm sorry about your parents, I know how it feels, I lost my husband, son and daughter-in-law all in the same incident, and then the authorities to my granddaughter and tried to lock me up." Anahera said. "that certainly was a blow to my stability." Anahera had hunted down the Orion family responsible for the death of hers, and now the Orion Crime Family, Ha'Del-Bah is no more. "The pain lessens over time, but it remains." She added.

"It does," Grace replied. "I was young when they were killed. My grandparents came to take me off-world with them. My older brother chose to stay. I haven't seen him since. While I miss them, I also realize that if it wan't for what happened, I'd still be on New Islandica. Sometimes we have to go through hard times to end up in a better place."

"Indeed, if things hadn't happened the way they did, I don't know where, I'd be, maybe back in Odessa on Earth." Anahera said.

"Indeed. Sometimes fate has a way of putting us where we need to be," she said. "Now, as your newly-appointed first officer, is there anything I can do to help you or your department?"

"I could use a sparing partner, if you feel up to it?" Anahera replied.

Grace raised an eyebrow at the question. "Sadly, that is not something I've ever done, so I'd be no help to you. I'm a dancer rather than a fighter, I'm afraid."

"Then perhaps we could dance together sometime? I hear its a good workout." Anahera replied.

"It's an excellent workout," Grace said. "Depending on the type of dancing, you work a lot of muscle groups. I think it would be fun to find something that would appeal to different types and not require a partner. That takes another level of expertise."

"Its a date." Anahera said.

The first officer nodded. "The counselor likes to dance, too. Might be fun to have a ladies dance night on the holodeck." She glanced around. "Until then, I should let you get back to fixing your replicator."

"Great, a dance night sounds like fun.' Anahera said. "It was nice to meet you, Grace, I look forward to working with you." With a smile she added. "Hopefully, I'll be able to offer you a coffee next time we meet." The Security Chief then returned to the mess that was her replicator.

____
OFF

Lieutenant Commander Grace Vetur
Executive Officer
USS Ontario

Lieutenant Commander Anahera Chernova
Security Chief
USS Ontario

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