[Back Post] Greek Myth to Greek History

Posted on Sun Sep 12th, 2021 @ 9:14am by Commodore Keiben Haistro & Lieutenant JG Anek Tua

1,380 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 3 - Fear Is Fear Itself
Location: Deck 1 - Ready Room
Timeline: Mission Day 4 @ 1600 Hours

ON

Captain Reynolds had contacted Keiben a few hours previous with a proposal to fill a vacant seat on the Copernicus Bridge and given the state Copernicus had been in before Andromeda's timely intervention he could not say no when Jon was offering yet more help. He had been made aware that his new Officer was onboard and making his way up to the ready room as he finalised the transfer orders and put a call in to Ensign Adams to arrange some quarters.

He was just pushing through the promotion paperwork that Captain Reynolds had authorised when the chime sounded pulling Keiben from his concertation.

"Come on in Lieutenant!" he called, sensing the unfamiliar presence of a Trill and his Symbiont. Keibens only experience with a joined Trill had been Mel and D'BrooNi up until this point and it was jarringly different reading a young Symbiont.

Anek Tua shifted his weight as he heard the permission to enter the room. It had seemed like only seconds had passed since he had transferred over from the Andromeda and already he had felt the change in the worlds he lived in. He was excited to be on the Copernicus, but was worried that the symbiont would hurt his standing. Most expected a joined Trill to be a wealth of information, he was a wealth of snark.

"It's not like you'd have been my first choice either," the Symbiont teased him as it interrupted his thoughts with its own. "You're going to get us fired."

Anek chose to ignore the Symbiont for the time being and stepped up to the Captain, "Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Anek Tua reporting as ordered, Captain."

"Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Anek Tua reporting as ordered, Captain," the Symbiont mocked. "You sound like you're a child playing dress up."

"At ease Lieutenant. Symbiont giving you some stick Lieutenant?" Keiben asked before tapping his temple knowingly. "Our Doctor has the same problem, although with all of her lifetimes it becomes white noise to me... I'm going to guess your Symbiont is a young one?"
Keiben rounded the desk, shaking the hand of his new officer as he started to usher him up to the more comfortable upper level of the ready room. "Something to drink Lieutenant?"

"Too bad the Captain didn't ask me if you were giving me a hard time," the Symbiont commented, "And I have always wanted to try Klingon Firewine. Can you ask for it?"

"No thank you, Captain," Anek answered politely, "and, to answer your question, the Symbiont Tua has never before been joined to someone. So, I am its first official host. I apologize if it is in any way disconcerting or uncomfortable toward you."

Tua mocked, "I'd be more worried about you being the one to make him uncomfortable."

"Not at all, but I would say you should fight back a little... Don't let Tua rule the roost because you both live there!"
He ordered himself an iced tea and moved to sit across for his new operations Chief. He seemed so young and almost reserved. Could that have been something to do with the over powering nature of the Symbiont he wondered, or was it simply the adjustment period?
"So Captain Reynolds has informed me that you are an exceptional Officer and more than ready for this posting... How do you feel about it?"

"I am eager to get started, Captain," the young Lieutenant answered earnestly. He realized that he did not fully answer the Captain's question though, but he had hoped that the Captain would not realize it. Something told me that he'd pick up on it though.

"Maybe you should fully answer this time?" Tua suggested almost helpfully.

Shifting slightly on his feet, "I won't hide some degree of nerves, but I am certain that they will subside in time."

"I'm certain they will. The crew are a friendly enough bunch... we have been through a difficult mission and some of the crew have a bit of adjusting and healing to do". He immediately thought of Commander Horn and Ensign Olowe in sickbay, perhaps he needed an update on their status from Mel. "Once we have completed repairs then we have free reign to investigate any of the uncharted systems in the area and begin to understand what we found during our last mission... It should be a fairly easy settling in period for you!"

As soon as he has said the words he regretted them. When had things ever gone smoothly or to plan on the ship! Still it was comforting to know that the USS Andromeda was nearby as well as the USS Merlin, USS Majestic and another older science vessel the USS Yosemite.
"Do you have any questions for me Lieutenant?"

"I have been reviewing details about our assignments and have been looking forward to getting started aboard this ship. I know that there are typically expectations when an officer is a Joined Trill, and I regret that I do not have the life-times of experiences that some share. I would like to get started as soon as possible so that I may meet your needs as a member of the crew."

"Lieutenant, I hold all of my officers to only two expectation... Do the best you can and work well as a team, everything else falls into place from there".
'Ah to be young again! the Betazoid Captain thought to himself.
"Well I won't keep you. I would suggest dropping in on Commander holt and Doctor D'BrooNi at your earliest convenience."

"Five minutes in and you already ran the Captain off," Tua teased.

"Yes, Captain, I will do so immediately," he tried his best to tune out the Symbiont, but it was hard when it shared your thoughts. He stood a moment, looking at his superior, "I do want to thank you for accepting me for this assignment, Captain. After my joining did not go as planned I had feared that my future was in jeopardy. I appreciate you taking a chance on me."

"I don't think it's a chance Lieutenant. I trust in Captain Reynolds, Lieutenant Lau and your service record. I feel this is more a certainty with a guarantee".
He flashed a wolfish grin at the young man before he really considered what the Trill had said about his joining. It was a little upsetting that he felt his joining had not been a success but Keiben couldn't help but see it as the opposite.
"Lieutenant. Without dipping to much into your joining... I know the Symbiont is young but you need to see this as a chance opportunity to shape a young life. What is that quaint Human saying... When life gives you lemons make lemonade!"

"I will attempt to keep that in mind, Sir. I spent my entire life preparing for joining with a symbiont and it has taken some adjustment to being assigned to a newborn." It wasn't exactly a newborn. The symbiont had been alive for almost a decade, but swimming around the sacred pools and learning from the elders. The specifics of the symbionts was overly complicated. "Perhaps I will speak with the Doctor first."

"Probably a good idea, she has... I'm not sure how many lives under her belt but I'm sure she can impart some advise from her first host at the very least!"

"I always wanted to be a doctor. Maybe she'll have some words of wisdom to impart."

Anek nodded, "I'm hoping so. Otherwise I may ask for her to remove Tua from me and I know what that would mean." He didn't mean it. Despite everything that was going on he knew, deep down, that this was an honor. Even if it was a newborn.

"Don't let our Counsellor hear you talking like that!" Keiben jested. "Now, if you will excuse me... I have a report to send to Starfleet Command!"

"Should we tell the Counselor I want to be away from you too?"

The Operations Manager nodded, "Understood, Sir. I think that I'll report to medical first. Thank you."

END

 

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