round 17 Captain Shelther Faranster & Commander Jalana Rajel, Passing The T

[Ensign Ambrosia Hayley]

(( Hallway to the Airlock of USS Apollo-A ))

:: Jalana walked right towards the airlock that would bring her onto DS285, where the Apollo had just docked after a considerably short flight for the distance they had crossed. The joys of the Slipstream drive. She was not sure why she had been told to meet with Captain Shelther Faranster, but as the brother of her best friend, he did not have to have a reason. She was curious though. Nobody had attempted to clear her confusion, she only had gotten the order. It was a surprise to her that they were even here, but since she worked in Sick Bay, she knew, that she’d miss some vital things from the bridge work flow. Sometimes she wishes she had not told Jaxx, that she did not want to be out of Sick Bay.::

:: She loved her job, but now there was more history, more experience in her belly, literally. It had changed things, it had changed her wishes and ambitions. And it made her miss being in the loop as she had been once. Not only on the Apollo, but way back a long long time on the Farel, when she had been Commanding Officer of the Trill Private Service. She shook away the memory of the day the union with the UFP had been announced, the day she had lost her position, and headed out of the airlock, with a small nod and a smile towards the security officers that let her through. ::

(( Outside Airlock, Deck 50, DS285 ))

:: Shel had just gotten back from his hurried mission to track down the fugitives from the Marquis reborn, and was glad to be at his home station, where it all started for him. On their way back, he had received the Commander exam results of his sister's best friend, as well as orders to promote her to Commander, an honor he would be doing for the first time. Also in his orders, were instructions to deliver the USS Constitution-B to the woman, for her first command. The ship had been in the hands of a crew of Starfleet Engineers since he had left for his mission. ::

:: Since orders from above had the Apollo at his home station, he sent the request for the woman to meet with him, and when he knew they were docked, and she would be coming through, he made sure he was waiting on the other side of the docking tube. ::

:: Jalana stepped out and a big smile crossed her face. There he stood. The purple hair was not easy to miss. She found it fascinating, that colours that were unnatural for some species, were the most normal thing for others. Like his sister with her bright lilac hair, that so many thought was dyed. She headed right to him and held out her hand to greet him. ::

Rajel: Shelther, nice to see you again so soon.

:: Taking her hand, he shook it, since it was official business, and he had never met with her outside his sister's company, he figured that was safest. ::

Faranster: Space is small when you have a slipstream, isn't it? :: He grinned at the woman. :: How was the flight?

Rajel: It was good, just a little surprising. We had not docked for a long time on DS 5 before we apparently were called here. How is the Doyle?

:: Shel almost laughed at the question, Starfleet gave him a brand spanking new ship, and within hours, he is fired upon. At least this time, his shields worked. ::

Faranster: Getting acquainted with her crew, you know, got to break it to see how it works... Or so my Engineers tell me.

Rajel: ::Smirking:: Yes, I think I heard that before. And how is she doing under the pressure to do well?

Faranster: Not too bad, got back here on QSD, so we were able to maintain structural integrity. :: He paused. :: But, I didn't call you to the station to exchange status reports.

Rajel: I figured. How is Sun doing?

:: Jalana had left the Doyle to return to the Apollo without Sun. Her best friend had chosen to remain a little longer with her brother. Jalana was not sure, but maybe also to have a little distance from the Apollo. While they had met Andrus on the Doyle as well, something had seemed off between them. Truth to be told, Jalana missed her friend and could not wait to see her again. ::

Faranster: She's fine, and anxious to join you, actually. She's gathering up her belongings. :: He glanced at the security officers for a moment. :: Walk with me.

:: They started moving away from the air lock. He knew she had to be curious, but he would have been clobbered by Sundassa if rumors spread to her before she was able to find out herself about the promotion he was bestowing on her best friend. ::

Faranster: I don't think you ever got a tour of my old ship.

Rajel: I did not have the opportunity. You were rather eager to move to the Doyle, when we arrived. But then I did not have a tour of that either. ::She looked up to him with a smirk on her lips.::

:: He laughed a little, the woman was right, before he could give her a tour of the new ship, he was called out for an important mission. It seemed every time they were up for shore leave, something interrupted it. ::

Faranster: Well, while I can easily correct the tour issue with the Doyle any time you'd like, I would like to give you a tour of the Constitution now.

:: The red brows of the Trill wandered upwards, pushing the spots on her forehead against the hairline. ::

Rajel: She is here? When I left she was still at DS 10, that’s quite a distance to make sure we can have a tour.

:: The ship did make it a great distance, and he wasn't quite certain how they did it, probably something above his pay grade. But it was certain that they wanted the Trill to have the ship. ::

Faranster: Yes, she's docked on the other side. I am surprised you didn't see her on the way in, but on DS 10 we did have a couple Garuda crew members mistaken the Constitution for theirs, so I suppose all Galaxy class look alike.

Rajel: ::laughing:: Well if you went through that trouble, sure why not. There is something about walking through an empty ship.

:: They started walking, his gentle direction towards the docking port the Galaxy class starship was ported at. He was still keeping it secret, because news spread like wildfire. Of course, without facts, rumors also got spread. ::

Faranster: You sound like you've done this more than once, how many times have you toured empty ships?

Rajel: Twice. Once about 160 years ago and a bit more than a year ago, before the crew moved into the Apollo-A.

:: He laughed, the Apollo-A was a huge ship, one worth walking through while almost empty. He did however hear, through the rumor mill, stories of a lilac haired woman running squealing through the halls. But, he had gone to lengths of trying to discredit those rumors, as they didn't sound very flattering to their then FO. ::

Faranster: I knew about the Apollo, I am curious about your encounters with her empty halls.

:: Jalana smiled, he knew that Antosians were curious - possibly none more than Sun, but she could imagine her brother have the same inclination. ::

Rajel: Well, it was in the lifetime of Apria, the third host...

(( Flashback - about 160 years go plus minus a year or so ))

:: The Trill Private Service, finally she had made it. Apria Navile had finished her training and now was Listra, the first rank in the officer's system. She was excited and wanted to get to work right away, though she would have to wait. The TSS Farel was a brand new ship, and the crew was not on board yet, but would join from all over Trillus Prime and its colonies tomorrow. Because Apria was already close to the docks, she had decided to not return home to her parents, but head there right away. ::

:: So there she was, walking through an empty hallway of the TSS Farel, the floor swallowing the sounds of her steps, which gave it all an eerie silence. She knew that she was not alone on board, there were people who put the finishing touches on the ship, be it calibrating sensors, connecting power to all systems or last check ups. But they were all busy, hidden in the guts of the ship. But as eerie it was, as peaceful it felt. ::

:: She could not put her finger on it, but it was calming, as if the ship made a special connection with her, as she stepped to one of the walls and placed her small hand on it. She was sure she felt some vibrations, but was not sure if it came from the ship itself, or from the dock it was attached to. ::

:: This would be her home for as long as she could possibly could. This was where she would do her magic as resources manager and operations officer. She would make sure everyone had what they needed, well not only her but the team she was joining. It was an important position and she was proud of it. A smile brushed over her lips as her palm slid gently over the smooth material of the wall. ::

Apria Navile: We'll be good friends you and I. I can feel it.

((/Flashback))

:: As they stepped through the airlock and onto the Constitution, he recalled how he felt being on this ship when it was his command. Now he was thinking about all the things he needed to give Jalana heads up about. His tactical officer always had a problem with the shields on the ship, of course it was possible it was just his tactical officer, and if that was the case, then she wouldn't have to worry. ::

(( Hall by Airlock, Deck 25, USS Constitution ))

:: Turning around, he held out his hand to help Jalana through the airlock. ::

Faranster: It is an interesting thing, having the ship being so quiet, let's head to the bridge first.

Rajel: Why the bridge? ::She was curious, since last time he had asked her about what she wanted to see, he had suggested Sick Bay first. ::

Faranster: Well, this was my first Command, so it does hold a special place.

Rajel: I can see that. Well then, Captain. lead the way. ::She smirked up to him::

:: They moved towards the turbolift. When they stepped inside, he called out their destination and the lift started its ascent. He figured promoting her on the bridge of the ship, was appropriate since she was going to be the one commanding it. ::

Rajel: How was it to command a Galaxy Class? From what I learned in the Academy it has some history.

Faranster: There is some history to the class, but more importantly there is history to the Constitution herself. Do you know much about the class?

Rajel: Only heard of it and well, the short visit. The first Apollo was an Achilles Class ship and well the Odyssey Class you know.

:: He smiled, he had briefly been on both of those ships with her, and now there would be a third ship in common. ::

Faranster: Each ship's class has its own beauty. I liked commanding this ship...

:: Although he did find that he loved commanding the Doyle, it was probably the fact that the ship was his, not a ship that had numerous commanding officers before him. Although, for his first ship, there was nothing like the Galaxy class ship that they were inside. ::

(( Bridge - USS Constitution )

:: When the lift stopped and opened, they entered onto the bridge. It was much smaller than the one of the Apollo-A, but it was actually quite nice. She liked the round shapes, not only of the back of the bridge, but also at the tactical and security station behind the three middle seats. It made everything look rather organic and pleasant. ::

Rajel: Lovely. At this size at least nobody has to scream to make sure everyone on the bridge hears it. ::She grinned at Shelther.:: Is the Doyle's bridge of that size too?

Faranster: The Doyle's bridge is about the same size, but nothing is as big as that banquet bridge that you currently have. I only hope it doesn't spoil you too much.

::Looking around she compared it to the Apollo bridge, apart from the size the order and arrangement of the consoles was different too, and they were not holographic. It was a little old fashioned, which was pretty nice, she thought. ::

Rajel: It think that this... banquet bridge, is actually a little too big. Why do you hope that?

Faranster: Well, while I would have loved for this to be a purely personal visit, I actually have some official business. I have the results of your Commander's exam, Jalana.

Rajel: ::The surprise was written in big letters into her face.:: You do? Why have they sent them to you? ::After she asked, she actually had another question that was way more pressing to her.:: Will you tell me the results?

:: He reached into his pocket, for a promotion ceremony, he would have a box for it with him, but he wanted to keep things as quiet as possible. He wrapped his fingers around the solid pip and removed his hand from the pocket. ::

Faranster: Congratulations, Commander. :: holding his hand out, showing the solid pip. :: You passed, and are hereby being promoted from Lieutenant Commander to full Commander, complete with the rights and responsibilities of the rank. :: He smiled broadly at her. :: Would you like me to do the honors? :: Pointing with his empty hand to her collar. ::

:: Her heart beat faster. She had done it. She had really done it! Her cheeks turned reddish as she remembered how worried she had been, that while she was a good doctor, she possibly was not cut out to rise up further in the ranks. It was an unbelievable feeling, she could jump of joy and only because this seemed to be a hint official, she held back. But she could not avoid grinning widely. ::

Rajel: Please do, Captain.

:: He was happy for her, it was a big achievement to be promoted to Commander, of course it was a big achievement to get your own command when being promoted to Commander. Something about the smile on her face made him excited for her, in a way he hadn't been excited about his own. His promotion had been a relief, a new challenge that didn't have the burden of his family. But the excitement in her eyes gave a different story, and he wanted to know what it was. ::

Faranster: You earned this.

:: As he stepped closer to remove the half-pin and fasten the solid one she raised her head, partly to give him better access to the collar, and also to look at him, since he was quite a bit taller than her. The top of his hand accidentally brushed along the line of her jaw, causing a gentle shiver run down Jalana's back at the warmth of his skin met her cooler one. ::

Rajel: Thank you. It’s an honor to receive the new pip from you, Shelther.

:: After Shel quickly finished changing the gold encrusted black, half pip, for the solid gold pip that showed the achievement that the woman had accomplished, he exhaled sharply. He tried to be careful when he had put the pin in place, and hoped he hadn't hurt her, looking at her, he didn't see any sign that he had, and smiled. ::

Faranster: I am glad that I was able to bestow this honor on you, you are a good officer and it was a pleasure to serve beside you on the Apollo.

Rajel: ::Smiling:: Why thank you.

Faranster: I think, you'll make a great Commanding Officer. :: He grabbed her hand and directed her to the center seat of the bridge. :: I know you've sat in the Captain's seat before, but sit there, and imagine it's your ship, and you're in charge, the crew all reports to you, and you are their Commanding Officer.

:: He was getting excited describing it to her, being in command of his own ship, which was now to be hers. Imagining how it felt, all over again, being there for the first time, newly in charge of the crew. ::

:: She laughed as she sat down on the chair, leaning back and brushing her hands over the armrests ending on the small screens at their ends. At her size it felt like the chair was a little big, but she didn't mind, it still was cozy. ::

Rajel: Wouldn't that be something. Me in charge. ::She chuckled:: It does remind me of the time when I was First Officer under your sister, while Jaxx had been gone on some other duty. Wasn't too bad. It would be an exciting adventure, and surely different than in the Trill Private Service. It's a different time.

Faranster: Well, you should be excited... :: Shel grabbed his PADD from his back pocket, with the orders for Jalana, as well as ship specs for the Constitution. Jalana would need them. Holding the PADD out, he spoke again. :: Starfleet Command wants the next Commanding Officer of the Constitution to be, you.

:: As she heard the words she still laughed, but in the corner of her eyes she saw him hold out the PADD and her green eyes shifted to them, then up to his face in disbelief. ::

Rajel: Are you serious?

Faranster: About the ship being yours? Very serious, I am glad to be able to pass my first command off to you as your first command.

:: Since the Constitution was his first command, he was very pleased that she was going to a good friend, someone who would take care of her. Being able to hand the ship over, ordered or otherwise, was a great honor. ::

((Flashback, ca 150 years ago))

:: The office was quiet, safe for the beep here and there coming from the screen on the desk. The man behind it did not pay any attention to it, but tapped a datapadd on his fingertips. Apria stood attention ever since she had come inside, waiting for the Vedran behind the desk to speak, while her eyes went straight, out of the window to the stars. ::

Parx: Do you know why I have called you here, Kezra Rajel?

Apria Rajel: No, Sir.

Parx: You might be aware that Terza Grent has been relieved of duty and therefore of command of the TSS Farel.

A. Rajel: It made its rounds, Sir.

Parx: Good, then it won't be a surprise for you. After careful consideration of the candidates and their files, the choice of the future Commanding Officer falls on you.

:: Her eyes fell down on the older Trill's face for just a split second, in surprise and disbelief, but quickly returned to her official stance. Was he joking? Of course he was not, Vedrans did not joke about that kind of thing. She was going to be the Commanding Officer of the Farel, the only ship she had ever served on. ::

A. Rajel: It is an honour, Sir.

:: Though the words could not describe how she felt. The pride and joy that hummed in her, made it to her lips, as the corners lifted to a smile. This was like a dream come true. She had been here from the first day of its 'life' and now it was hers. ::

((/Flashback))

:: Jalana smiled, remembering like yesterday how she had gotten command of the TSS Farel. Apria would decline just because the Constitution was a Federation ship. But Jalana had been a Federation member ever since her birth, just like Trill had been for over a hundred years now. She had served in Starfleet and she could not imagine not continuing so. ::

Rajel: I.. I don't know what to say. ::She took the PADD without looking at it.:: That is.. wow. ::She laughed.:: You could not have told me that before I left to return to the Apollo, right? ::She had just left to return, just to come back to the Conny, oh the irony.::

:: He took a seat in the seat reserved for the First Officer, looking out at the view screen. Shel was glad she was happy, or least she seemed happy. His first commission to the ship, was a good and a stressful thing at once, but never the less, he had been happy when it happened. The crew, knew him and trusted him now, even if they were weary at first. ::

Faranster: I'll take that as a good thing, Jalana.

Rajel: I do have a question though. Who will be my crew?

:: That was a good question, one he might have asked himself. As it stood right now, a good number of the crew from the Apollo would be joining her. He didn't know what was happening with the Admiral, or where he was, Sun hadn't spoken to him the entirety of their trip, but he knew that Sun was looking forward to getting Puck back. ::

Faranster: Your crew will be comprised of a number of officers from the Apollo.

Rajel: ::Her eyes widened:: Really? That is fantastic! ::She realized that it meant that Jaxx would not return. She had a guess where he was gone, since he had never found out if his children were still alive. But.. :: What about D'Sena?

:: D'Sena was an officer he barely met in passing as he was leaving the ship, Sun had some experience with her, but not very much that she passed on to him. It was obvious to him that she was curious why they didn't offer this opportunity to the other woman. ::

Faranster: I suspect they aren't as impressed with her performance.

Rajel: I understand. I had not expected that Starfleet would jump on the chance to bring me into the center chair. I had stated my interest in Command after all, thanks to Apria. But... wow. Apparently they do manage to make me speechless. ::She laughed:: Did you feel like that when you got command?

Faranster: :: He sighed, this day was for reflecting on his first command. :: I am not sure I found myself speechless. I didn't like saying goodbye, that part was hard, but you won't have to do that. :: He smiled at Jalana. ::

Rajel: ::She returned the smile.:: I am glad about that. It does sounds like the whole process wasn't easy for you.

Faranster: I had passed up the opportunity several times to move towards command with our fleet on Antosia, due to my family needing me. But, after things changed, I jumped when I could take this.

:: Part of him wondered if it was a good choice, his sister had just broke off her engagement. Hopefully she would be able to find whatever it is that she needed to find, but he knew one thing, she didn't want to hold him back any more, and now he had more people relying on him than just his family. ::

Rajel: And your crew is surely grateful for that. From what I saw you are a good Captain.

Faranster: Since these people are people you've served with, you probably already feel the same way I do about my crew, they are your family. :: He paused and reached over, putting his hand on her arm. :: Let Sun take care of you, and please take care of her.

:: She fidgeted a little on the seat to turn herself towards him, before she placed her hand on his. ::

Rajel: Sun is one of the most important people in my life, I will always take care of her. And I think she would say the same about me.

:: Shel nodded, during the time on the Doyle with his sister, he had initially told her that she couldn't hide on his ship from her heartbreak, but after having a chance to talk to her, she didn't want to. By what he could tell, while she didn't want to be reminded of what she lost, she didn't want to leave her best friend, and he knew that it would be worse for her to be away from Jalana than to be somewhere near Jaxx. Fortunately, she was going to be free of reminders and be with her best friend. ::

Faranster: I think you are right, Jalana.

Rajel: ::smirking:: Hey if you are anywhere close the same goes for you. Being her brother means you are family.

Faranster: :: squeezing her arm gently he smiled again. :: Thank you, I feel the same.

:: He thought back to how protective he was of her when she was going through her breakdown from finding out about Commander Lanius. And then protecting her from scandal cost him his counselor, a price he gladly paid. The man seemed more concerned about how things appeared for him, than protecting Jalana's reputation, and given her situation, Shel felt the man was taking advantage of it. ::

Faranster: I haven't heard much about your family, but I am sure they will be proud of you. How about you?

:: She looked around the bridge and listened to her inner voice. Her hand remained on his for another moment. ::

Rajel: I feel pride. I don't know if you know that, but my father intended for me to follow his footsteps, to become a diplomat, even an Ambassador.

Faranster: I take it that you didn't like the career path that he wanted you to take.

Rajel: ::She laughed:: Well, it wasn't too bad, but it was not for me. I always knew I wanted to be a doctor. The night I told him, he told me he did not want see me any more, so I left. I finished Medical School on Trill and then went to Earth to join Starfleet. He said I would never make it.

:: That must have been hard on her to have a parent not believe in her. The Faranster children never experienced that, lack of faith from their parents. They were encouraged, but they also knew the pressure of expectations, from their mother. He thought there was a certain level of cruelty in discouraging a dream. ::

Faranster: Well, look at you now, an accomplished doctor, a Starfleet Commander, and commanding your own starship!

Rajel: Well the pride I feel not only because I have made it as a doctor and as an officer.. but also because I made it before I was joined. Nobody can say that I achieved any of this because of knowledge from past lives and while I value my symbiont and what I gained from it, it is nice to know that I made it without.

Faranster: Did you know, that you are following your father's career path of choice, even if not the desired route, at this point?

:: Her green eyes looked at the purple haired man a little taken aback. ::

Rajel: What do you mean?

Faranster: Diplomacy, ambassador... They are roles that we have to fill on a daily basis as Captain. It's something I am sure you've noticed with Admiral Jaxx, and when Sun stood in as Commanding Officer on the Aegis.

:: Jalana blinked slightly, she had never looked at it like that. But it was true, while every officer learned from the start that their actions reflected on the fleet and with that they were ambassadors of Starfleet, it was way more literal for Commanding Officers. Not only in their way of general conduct, but also in the way they were the first to react to new situations, First Contacts, Crises and such. Jalana shook her head and laughed.::

Rajel: Will you look at that. After years of going my own path, I am returning to where it began.

:: Shel couldn't help but laugh in response as she realized the truth in what he said. ::

Faranster: Amazing, isn't it?

Rajel: The way I look at it, it is the best of both worlds. I am myself, I do what I love and I am where I want to be, and still weave my father’s wishes for me into my life.

Faranster: Yes, you are you. Your father would be a fool not to be proud of the woman you became. Do you have plans to tell him?

:: Shel was only a friend, and he was proud of what Jalana had achieved. Parents should be proud of their kids when they do something they enjoy, and he believed Jalana was exactly where she wanted to be. ::

Rajel: I guess I should. Maybe hearing about that will make him at least talk with me again. ::She smirked as she looked at him:: Thank you for showing me that side. I have not thought of it.

:: Shel stood, and stepped in front of her, extending his hand to help her from the seat. It was sounding like their time on the bridge was coming to an end, and they should move on to the rest of the tour. ::

:: Jalana smiled as placed her hand into his and stood up. She continued the fluid motion to step closer and wrap her arms around him for a hug to show her appreciation. It was the first ever between them, though it felt appropriate. He was her best friend's brother and she had just told him that he was family. ::

Faranster: You're always welcome. Let me know how it works out.

:: She stepped back again and nodded, her lips still curved upwards. ::

Rajel: Of course. ::Pause:: Has Starfleet mentioned when we are to leave and where our operational area is?

Faranster: I wish I knew, but I imagine you'll receive your orders from Starfleet Command shortly.

:: He thought about it for a moment, when he received the Constitution, he didn't get his orders from Jaxx as to where they were going, but a message directly to him from Command. There were certain things that needed to be done in person, he supposed, and others that could be done from far away. ::

Rajel: Well, even you cannot know everything. :: She grinned and walked slowly towards the lift.:: Then let’s stay with what you do know. How about you show me the rest of me my ship?

Faranster: I think I can do that.

:: He followed her to the turbolift, and thought about all the locations on the ship that he found interesting. There was a curiosity looming as to who she would have in charge of the lounge. The aquatics lab didn't need to be on the tour, as she would have seen that, and medical too. There was just so much to show on the ship, as it had a good number of decks. ::

:: As they moved through the ship, they talked, and he explained the missions and difficulties they had with their shields and computers. Advised against bringing on scientists from space stations that specialize in viruses, or going into temporal anomalies. ::

:: Jalana thoroughly enjoyed taking the tour with Shelther. She was in awe of the library, which looked like they stepped into an old world, that many had long forgotten or not even known it had existed. She saw Sick Bay which was smaller than on the Apollo but had its own charm. She was excited to say the least, knowing that this was her ship. Her own command. She could still hardly believe it. And she could not wait to tell Sundassa the news. This would be one wild adventure. ::