Fireblossoms: Depart With Honour and Lead With Grace (Part I)

Posted on Mon Mar 31st, 2025 @ 9:46am by Commander Grace Vetur & Lieutenant Percival Bálor Ph.D
Edited on on Mon Mar 31st, 2025 @ 9:52am

1,459 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Standing By
Location: USS Ontario | Deck 02 | Captain's Dining Room

Doctor Percival Bálor stood at the work station in his laboratory with his concoction having been poured into glass conical flasks and placed on the orbital shaker. The lab equipment gyrating with less inhibition than the hips of the King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley.

The puce colored liquid with the flasks had but half an hour prior been a paler champagne color. It was mixing as anticipated and Percy had two fresh hyposprays to load the concoction into when ready. Presley's mid-century rhythm and blues hit "All Shook Up" aptly played throughout the laboratory as the Biochemist went to work.

Whilst that concoction was waiting, water was on in his kettle and he had just done some pruning of plants he was gifting to some of his Ontario shipmates. He had ten taken some petals from the gorgeous claret toned Klingon fireblossom. He placed the petals along with some of the stems in a stone mortar and use the pestle to crush and pulverize the flower. He was careful not to let the temptress prevail.

The Klingon Fireblossom was highly aromatic with a lush perfume scent, though also a toxic plant to most species. Breathing in the decimated particles would have been unwise were he strictly Human. Percy, fortunately, was not. Half-Tellarite but not willing to risk his precious life. After all, it was the Fireblossom that Lady Lukara, Kahless' mate used to kill the Hur'Iq mistress.

Percy nearly wept thinking about the beauty tale from Klingon mythology. He too would kill anyone that came between him and Yivliph Ra-Gruvloveii's marital bliss that would unfold in the future. They had a life ahead of them. At least in his heart he thought the act of killing off the mistress was beautiful though he knew that was a bit eccentric. Over dramatic perhaps, but touching nonetheless.

Lieutenant Bálor then prepared the tea in a glass pot with an infuser, using the power from the Klingon Fireblossoms to make the ceremonial tea. Having cleared the laboratory of particles and ensuring his henchmen wore breathing apparatuses, he summoned them. A handful of enlisted technicians collected everything and followed Percy out of the lab with everything, Percy carrying the hyposprays with the puce liquid inside satchel as he carried several old books.

Doctor Bálor and entourage arrived at the Captain's private mess on deck two. Percy had ensured that everything was decorated, the 'good porcelain' was brought up from storage and had spent the past several days choosing the menu as it were. The beverage for the special occasion was what his minions had brought from his lab. All that he was waiting on now was Grace. He had not told her the intricate of what 'have lunch with me' entailed but he had requested a minimum of an hour's time with a cushion of an additional hour should things run over. He had also told her the venue would be her private mess, an underutilized space, but in the starship's long illustrious service, undoubtedly host of many soirées in the Ontario's prime.

A summons from Percy rarely meant good news, but Grace was curious about why he would ask her to join him for lunch in the captain's mess--and why it would take an hour. So, feeling curious, trepidatious, and hungry,--she hadn't eaten yet--she headed for the mess she hadn't used since becoming commander of the Ontario.

When she entered the room, she stopped and looked around. "Percy?"

With the Captain's entrance, Percy stood from the table and the remaining technicians stood at attention albeit one with the special chore of playing the Tellarite hollow bell line, a cherished instrument from Tellar Prime. Percy's smile was practically ear to ear. He greeted Grace with an Irish "Dia duit," and a nod to the technicians to depart once Grace placed them at ease.

Percy cleared his throat, pursed his lips and began with some words, "I AM tired of planning and toiling
In the crowded hives of men,
Heart-weary of building and spoiling," began the Chief Science Officer, pausing only momentarily to watch Grace, and to make eye contact. He had rehearsed this. He could say it by heart.

"And spoiling and building again,
And I long for the dear old river,
Where I dreamed my youth away;" continued Percival Bálor. He gestured for Grace to join him at the table where nothing short of a modest feast awaited them.

Percy then pressed on and finished "For a dreamer lives forever,
And a toiler dies in a day." The half-Tellarite reached for a carafe of water, pouring a glass and wetting his throat. "John Boyle O'Reilly, Nineteenth century, Ireland. Come, sit with me?"

She nodded her head in agreement, still wondering what this was leading to. "That was a lovely poem." She waved her hand around. "And this is a lovely setting." She liked Percy, and she'd seen a lot of improvement since he began spending time with Yiv, but she couldn't help wondering what he'd done--or wanted to do.

Percy met her gaze. "I'm half-Tellarite, but you are undoubtedly aware of that" he joked. "Meals are important in the Tellarite society. We literally have a dozen holidays and use them as an excuse to eat. Heck, we have one that translates the feast day."

The Chief Science Officer smiled. "Captain, I wanted to show my appreciation for everything you've done for me. I know you are humble and wouldn't want to have a spectacle made. So, I kept this just the two of us. It's an appreciation for all you've done in helping me grow as an officer and as a person" explained Percy.

"There's something I always wanted to do, but I never had anyone brazen enough nor cultured enough to do so. In the Klingon culture as you are probably aware of, there's a sacred tea ceremony where Klingon poetry is shared after drinking a tea that is toxic to most species." Percy gestured to the pot of tea and then to the hyposprays with the puce colored contents.

"Is this a mutual suicide pact, or are you that certain of the antidote?" she asked dryly. "I have heard of a Klingon ceremony that is fatal to non-Klingons, but nothing more. May I ask why said ceremony at this time?" She wasn't saying no, because she was curious, but she did want some verification. Percy was noted for his experimentation, so she wasn't completely surprised, but she wasn’t sure why a Klingon ceremony when neither of them were Klingon.

Percy snorted "Oh no, none of that teenage tragic romance stuff for me," dismissed Percy playfully. "You've read the mission reports or some of them so far. I think we both know how Doctor Marcus can be, and with how everything occurred with Mizuhara. I did not want to be the bone in the middle of a war between Doctor Marcus and Counselor Rose. She cleared me for duty, Doctor Marcus is not going to roll over and accept that. It will become a long drawn out cat fight."

"Who loses in that? Potentially Amanda, maybe me, but ultimately you and the crew. The two of them are members of the senior staff and your medical department. They need to be working together rather than against one another. So, I'm taking myself out of the equation. I asked Amanda to grant me a psychiatric leave of absence. I'll be doing it off the Ontario. That should suffice for Doctor Marcus, and because it was voluntary, Amanda won't feel as though he won."

"I trust Doctor Marcus to keep his word that you would be allowed back on duty after the counselor cleared you. I also find it--unsettling--that you and Amanda appear to be on the same side. You two have been bickering like siblings since you and Yiv began your relationship." She paused, wondering if there was more behind his request. "And, while I have no issues with you wanting a leave of absence, why would you go so far as to ask her to approve a psychiatric one?"

"Unfortunately, I can't say I have as much confidence in Doctor Marcus as you do, but I won't assassinate the man's character," Percy countered. "I don't intend to unsettle you or anyone. Sometimes people disagree on a lot of things, but find common ground in other matters. Respect, Captain. Counselor Rose is the Ship's Chief Counselor, going to LuAnn or anyone else would have been expected of me, to belittle her yet again."

(To be continued..)

Lieutenant Percival Bálor
Chief Science Officer
USS Ontario

Commander Grace Vetur
Commanding Officer
USS Ontario

 

RSS Feed