round 24 LtCmdr Mei’Konda and Lt Delano - A Moment’s Rest

[+ Saveron]

(( Holodeck 4 ))

(( Riverside Simulation ))

:: Mei’konda gazed out over the simulated river. He’d asked the computer to pick a relaxing location somewhere on a Federation planet, and he’d had to admit that this one wasn’t one that he was familiar with. Trinary system, though, judging by the one proximal star and the two others he could see on the horizon. Warm, but not uncomfortably so, Mei’konda had dressed down to his shorts and was letting his feet dangle into the cool water off of the pier here and Evan were seated on, eyes fixed on Odin while the rottweiler splashed happily about in the shallows. ::

:: It had seemed like a good idea to go someplace relaxing after the court decision. The Caitian had been sitting in the background, listening and trying to keep his heartbeat down. After the harsh decision Saveron had handed down, he’d stood up and left without a word, because he wasn’t sure any words he might’ve said would have been with a cool head. ::

:: Evan, in a loose button up shirt and a pair of light shorts, had been relatively quiet. It was clear he was still in some amount of discomfort from the after effects of the mind meld with Ross, as he occasionally rubbed his fingers as if he were trying to force circulation. ::

Delano: The captain offered me a role back in Strategtic Operations. With Starfleet’s increased presence in the region, having an experienced officer in that position is more important than before.

Mei’konda: Fair enough, but… I would argue thaat experiienced securiity personnel are even more importaant, consiidering the… unsecured naature of our shiip. :: He paused. :: Are you okaay?

Delano: It does feel like a step backward.

:: Evan unconsciously reached for his collar, though he wasn’t wearing his uniform. ::

Mei’konda: I understaand. At least, I thiink I do.

:: The Vulcan-hybrid looked to his partner. ::

Delano: I know it’s been hard on you too. Are you doing okay?

:: He let out a short sigh, and brushed fingers over his feline ears before reaching for a small pile of sticks he had on the pier next to him, tossing one out into the water for Odin to go get. ::

Mei’konda: I am feeling… frustraated. Thiis did not go anywhere how I thought it would.

Delano: Because I pleaded guilty?

:: Mei’konda hesitated for a moment. That was part of it, and he’d never found any value in being less than totally honest. ::

Mei’konda: Paartly that, though it’s puurely… an emotionaal reaction. You did do what they accused you of, afterr all. But the haarshness of the sentence.

:: Mei’konda let his frustration show a little more in his tone as he continued. ::

Mei’konda: Perhaaps if your name were Spock, Saveron may have let you off more eaasily.

:: Evan had thought the same thing more than once since the sentencing, but he had tried to dismiss those suspicions as just another product of the stress he’d been under over the last few months. ::

Delano; I think Saveron did the best he could in a difficult situation. I don’t think I’d have handled it the same way, but… well, we’re very different people.

:: Mei’konda forced himself to nod. He had to assume impartial intentions. Saveron was one of the most Vulcan like Vulcans he’d ever met, after all. ::

Mei’konda: I thiink what bothers me the most is the… enforced Vulcan meditaations and schooliing. It remiinds me of an old Earth custom I heard of once, for addiictions… the twelve step prograam. :: He paused. :: It requiired that one adhere to a system of religion, to giive oneself over to a higher power, regaardless of belief.

:: The Caitian shrugged. ::

Mei’konda: Thiis reminds me of that. You chose not to pursue those teaachings, and now Saveron is sentencing you to them.

Delano: I’ve had the same thought. A part of me is still opposed to them. Even so, I don’t think Saveron is trying to force his beliefs on me. To be honest, it’s very similar to what the magistrate ruled when I was a kid.

Mei’konda: Yes, but… I caan’t help thiinking that if you’d had a non-Vulcan judge, thaat particular… aspect of the judgment would have been left out.

:: Mei’konda tossed another stick out into the water and watched the dog go lunging after it. ::

:: Evan got to his feet and closed the distance between them, placing a warm hand on the Caitian’s shoulder. ::

Delano: I’ll be okay, Mei. To be honest, I’ve been interested in some kind of training like this for a while. I might have even asked Saveron. Eventually, anyway.

:: Mei’konda glanced over toward Evan after that hand settled on him, and forced a small smile. ::

Mei’konda: Maaybe so. There’s one more thiing that bothered me about this. please answer me honestly, Evan. Do you thiink Saveron was capable of understaanding the… emotional turmoil you went through during that interrogation? :: He settled his hand down on top of Evan’s own. :: It doesn’t maake what you did right, but you were in the middle of an intense interrogation, and then you were interrupted by a comms call that made you think I was dead…

:: Even the memory was enough to stir the latent emotional maelstrom that had caused him to attack Ross. Far less intense than it had been in the moment, but still palpable. The tightening of the muscles in Evan’s face wasn’t lost on his partner. ::

Delano: I don’t think it’s my place to question that, Mei. I know you and he don’t see eye to eye on some things, but he is still the second officer. And I agreed to abide by his decision as judge. I can’t back out on that now just because the outcome will make things difficult for a while.

:: Slipping his hand back down again, Mei’konda tossed the last of the sticks, the biggest one, out to Odin. The dog caught it in his mouth and paddled back to the simulated river bank, wagging. ::

Mei’konda: It really just depeends on if you… agree with the decision, I suppose. Maaybe I’m being emotional, I don’t know. But you could always appeal the judgment.

:: Evan squeezed a little on Mei’s shoulder and offered a smile. It wasn’t as easy as it usually was, but a shadow of his usual humor was still there. ::

Delano: I understand. And maybe we should think about that. I don’t know, why don’t we give it a few weeks and see how this goes. We can always go to the captain if we need to.

Kells: =/\= Captain Kells to the Invicta senior staff. =/\=

:: Mei’konda instinctively glanced upward, though modern starship audio design tended to make those sorts of calls sound like they were coming from all around. ::

Mei’konda: I guess that’s still you, huh?

Delano: As far as I know…

Mei’konda: =/\= Mei’konda here. =/\=

Kells: =/\= R&R is at an end, I'm afraid -- or at least has been suspended for the moment. Please return to the bridge, where Lieutenant DeVeau will brief us on an anomaly that she believes warrants investigation. =/\=

:: Mei’konda exhaled a slow breath, pushed up to his feet, and offered the taller half-Vulcan a hand up. ::

Mei’konda: Thaat’s our cue. Maybe some work will help us get our miind off this.

Delano: Maybe.

:: Exploring an unusual anomaly did sound just mundane enough to even allow him some time to think, Evan thought. ::

Kells: =/\= Commander Mei'konda, Lieutenant Johnson, please inform the dockmaster that we may need to leave rather quickly. ::beat:: I'll see you all in half an hour. Kells, out. =/\=

Mei'konda: =/\= I’ll maake it happen, Captain. Mei’konda out. =/\=

Johnson / Any: =/\= ?

Delano: =/\= On my way =/\=

Mei’konda: Well. Let’s go get chaanged. Odin, come.

:: As the dog trotted over, Mei’konda called for the holodeck program to end, and watched the hint of confusion on the animal’s face as the water all over him quickly evaporated. Another good modern perk. The Caitian offered one more slight smile to Evan as they made their way out. Along the way, he called Johnson. ::

Mei’konda: =/\= Mei’konda to Lieutenant Johnson. =/\=

Johnson: =/\= =/\=

Mei’konda: =/\= Please report to the Bridge, taake helm, and ready us for depaarture. =/\=

Johnson: =/\= =/\=

====

Lieutenant Evan Delano

Strategic Operations Officer

USS Invicta

T239007ED0

And

Lieutenant Commander Mei’konda

Chief of Operations

USS Invicta

M239002M10